How It All Falls Apart
by CreativeReading
Summary: Hux gets more than he bargained for when he signs a treaty on the Supreme Leader's behalf and doesn't read the fine print, which ultimately leads to the downfall of the First Order. Warning-mentions of past child abuse Hux/OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

General Hux paced around his private chambers and massaged his temples to stave off his upcoming headache. He was glad the transmission was audio only; the last thing he needed was for that quick-tempered idiot to take offense.

He took a deep breath and tried again, choosing his words very carefully, "Supreme Leader Ren." Oh how those words cost him to utter out loud. "This treaty is of the utmost urgency."

"I don't have time for your petty concerns. Nothing can distract me from my mission," Kylo snapped, irritation seeping into every word.

 _Your self-imposed mission of tracking down your mommy and your Rebel scum girlfriend_ , Hux thought, doing his best to keep the disgust out of his voice when he spoke with Kylo, confident that he couldn't detect how he really felt. "I understand, however, . . ."

"You understand nothing. We have to track them down," Kylo replied.

Hux ground his teeth, forcing himself to breath in slowly to prevent himself from reacting. Kylo kept abandoning the main fleet, taking a contingent of his Knights of Ren to hunt down the rebels. Every few months, he'd return for a day or so, excoriate Hux for every single imagined failure in his absence and then run off again on some half-baked theory as to where the rebels could be hiding. Kylo had found them at least twice, fighting battles that cost him the majority of his soldiers and ships and losing every single time in a spectacular fashion. He was unconcerned about anything dealing with the First Order and more and more of the responsibilities for the Empire rested on Hux's shoulders.

Truth be told, Hux preferred Kylo running all over the galaxy in his foolish attempt to reconnect of Snoke's murderer. He was half certain that Kylo participated in the massacre as well. One person, no matter how strong in the "Force", could hardly overpower Snoke, his guards, and Kylo. Hux, though, wisely kept his thoughts to himself. Kylo brooked no disloyalty and their past friction had blossomed into seething, mutual hatred. If Hux thought he could get away with it, he'd eliminate Kylo in a heartbeat. However, he knew he'd only every get one shot at it and if he miscalculated, Kylo would take his life without reservation. So, they existed in an uneasy truce, full of barbs and ill will.

Hux decided to try once again. "Of course, Supreme Leader. However, this alliance will fall apart if the treaty is not swiftly signed. Each transmission we receive from the delegation is more insistent. We need the raw materials available on those planets. We don't have the resources to take them by force. This treaty . . . ."

"Are the negotiations complete?" Kylo asked in a bored tone.

"Yes; all that awaits is your signature."

"Transmit it to me and I'll sign it."

Hux clenched his jaw, tired of repeating himself to a man who knew nothing of the daily workings of the First Order. "As I have said, many, many times before, they will not sign the treaty without the adjoining ceremonies. It is part of their culture. You need to be physically present to sign or they will renege and we will lose . . ."

"Fine," Kylo snapped, cutting him off. "You do it."

"Me?"

"Yes. I confer the authority to sign the treaty over to you. I'm sure that should suffice."

Hux blinked, at a loss for words. Signing treaties was usually only reserved for the Supreme Leader. By allowing Hux to sign for him, Kylo was effectively bolstering Hux's position by quite a bit, a de facto type of promotion. After a moment's pause, he found his voice. "Yes . . . yes. It should. It will."

"Don't mess this up, General Hux. As you've said, many, many times before, this is a vital treaty," Kylo said dryly. "Imagine my disappointment if you didn't complete your task or if something went wrong. You don't want to incur my wrath yet again."

Hux's fingers went to his badly bruised neck, just beginning to heal from the last time Kylo had been upset with him over a perceived slight. He remembered gasping for breath, certain that it was going to be the one time that Kylo truly lost complete control and ended him. As much as he wanted the additional responsibility and scope of power, he knew the price of failure. "Of course, Supreme Leader. I won't let you down."

Kylo snorted. "That would be a first." There was a short pause. "Is there anything else?"

Hux had at least ten other pressing matters he knew he should confer with Kylo about, but he knew not to press his luck. "No, Supreme Leader."

"Don't contact me again unless it's an actual emergency," Kylo snarled and then all Hux could here was the soft hiss of static.

Hux let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when the transmission finally ended.

He grinned a bit, thinking of the upcoming ceremony. All he had to do was go down to the main planet in the system, sign a document, and reap the added award of his increased status. It would put him one step closer to his ultimate dream of becoming Supreme Leader himself.

His mind raced as he began to plot as to how he could use this to his advantage. Perhaps he could encourage other systems to sign treaties directly with him, owing to how very "busy" the Supreme Leader was. It could set a precedent that could lead to him finally wresting control away from Kylo. He began to calculate exactly which planets he could approach to discreetly in order to line up private treaties with them. As much as he'd like to take the First Order away from Kylo by direct opposition, he had no problem undermining his authority by other means. _I just need to get this blasted thing signed swiftly_ , he thought, a soft smile gracing his lips. _How hard could it be?_

That thought was to be his downfall.

Author's Note- I hope you like the beginning. I'm hoping to make this a multi-chapter fic if there's enough interest.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

Hux groaned softly as he awoke to the blaring claxon of his alarm. He'd only slept a couple of hours at most and he felt the weariness settle over him like a thick blanket, pressing him into his bed. The last thing he wanted to do was to get up and face the day. By sheer force of will, he opened his eyes.

Sleep used to come easy to him. He could sleep anywhere, at any time, despite the chaos in his own life. But now, with everything going on and the pressures of his new position, he was lucky to get a few hours every night. The problem with getting power, he'd found out, was that you could always lose it. He was like a miser who'd finally become wealthy and then spent the rest of his life worried that thieves would take it all away.

Acquiring power was actually the easy part. Slit enough throats, bomb enough villages, do the things that no one else will do and eventually, you end up on the top of the heap, looking down on everyone else.

The problem was that once you got there, you found out that there were always going to be a group of people snapping at your heels, just waiting to bring you down, just itching to destroy you. Hux could think of at least five of his senior officers who would willingly snap his neck if given the chance, not to mention the factions on the ship that were blindly loyal to Kylo, despite his infantile actions and childish outbursts. Most of the command staff were at least a decade or two older than him and resented his quick ascent to power. And the worst part wasn't the five officers he knew that would kill him without hesitation, it was not knowing how many of the others were secretly of the same mind.

Hux tried to fight against the inevitable paranoia, but it consumed his every thought and action. All it would take is a few drops of a deadly poison or an accidental "misfiring" of a weapon and he would be gone. He trusted no one. His treated his own aide with a healthy amount of suspicion, even when he knew it wasn't deserved. Loyalty was given great lip service in the First Order, referenced in nearly every grandiose speech, drilled into the heads of the youngest of the cadets from their first lessons, but in the end, it meant absolutely nothing. Assassinations, changing sides, lying, misinformation, and treachery were the norm rather than the exception in the First Order. Snoke had been supremely confident about Kylo's unwavering "loyalty" and look how he ended up.

And if Hux's downfall didn't come from his own side, he still had the Resistance thwarting him at every turn. From the ruined Starkiller base to the destruction of the Supremacy and the battlecruisers ripped apart by the Resistance leader's jump to hyperspace, the setbacks had been severe, greatly depleting their resources and manpower.

Which was why the treaty he was to sign that day was so very important. They couldn't take what they needed by force and they were forced to negotiate, like the simpering Republic. It galled him that they couldn't just storm the planet system, taking what they needed, but they were stretched too thin, especially with Kylo squandering their ships and manpower in his repeated attempts to locate the Rebels. Hux had run the numbers several times and the casualties on their side would mostly likely make a raid on the planet system unprofitable, further weakening their position.

He took a deep breath to clear his mind and quickly got out of bed, making it up as soon as he exited. He kept his chambers fastidiously clean and sparsely decorated as was his habit. He'd long barred the cleaning staff from entering, not trusting that they couldn't be bribed into planting an explosive or in releasing a deadly viper into his room. Given that he'd done the same in the past, he could hardly put it past his rivals to use similar tactics.

He showered and dressed, making sure that everything was just so. He had to project an air of importance and gravity that spoke to his elevated position and he knew that his somewhat youthful appearance was a mark against him. He'd once tried to grow a beard to look older, but he just ended up looking scruffy and unkempt, like a hermit living in the mountains.

Hux busied himself with his sleeves and then smoothed his hair back one last time. Everything had to be perfect. There was a soft rap at the door of his chambers. "General?"

"Yes," he said, irritated at the interruption. "Come in."

His aide entered, Lt. Adasm Ruchi **,** a man in his late 20's, his white blond hair slicked back in an obvious imitation of Hux's. His last aide had died during the attack on the Supremacy and Hux was still getting used to Ruchi and his constant attempts to prove his worth to Hux. "I was reviewing the treaty and there were a few . . . um . . . . stipulations, that I wanted to go over with you."

Hux gritted his teeth. Time was running out and he didn't have the luxury of arriving late and starting off on the wrong foot. "Does it affect the price of the raw materials that we need?"

"No, sir," Lt. Ruchi said quickly. "Not at all. However, there are some significant cultural differences and challenges in translations of the archaic form of the language that may . . ."

"If it doesn't affect the raw materials, I don't care. If they need me to dance a jig and paint myself purple, I'll do it. We won't be able to find these elements at this cost within a thousand parsecs. The price is ridiculously low. It's undervalued and they have no idea. Whatever childish ceremony or silly, little tradition we need to fulfill to get them to sign the treaty, we'll do with a smile on our faces. Do you understand?" he asked, his tone low and deadly.

"Yes, General."

"Good. Arrange the shuttle to leave within the hour. Make sure that we have a healthy contingent of guards with us and include at least half of the senior command staff. Full dress uniforms."

"Half of them?"

Hux couldn't say the real reason, that he was sure that the shuttle could easily get sabotaged with him on it, and that by ensuring that he kept his enemies close by, they were less likely to be able to thwart him. He wasn't quite comfortable with sharing his suspicions with his aide just yet. He had to convince others of his superiority and power at all times and he knew his unreasonable fears could be used against him.

"I . . . . I want them to witness my victory. Think of it. One step closer to consolidating my power."

His aide nodded enthusiastically, no doubt thinking of his own ascent to power tied to Hux's.

"Go. Finish the preparations," Hux commanded and his aide scurried away, eager to do his bidding.

Hux sighed a bit, but then straightened his shoulders. It was all coming together. Whatever problems with the treaty, he was sure that he would be able to work around them. He'd come thus far, despite everything being stacked against him. All he needed to do was make it through the day and his dream of becoming Supreme Leader would eventually come true.

Author's Note- It seems as though a few people would like this to be a multi-chapter story, so as long as there is interest, I'll keep writing. Thank you so much for your encouragement so far. You're the reason that I wrote a second chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

The shuttle ride to the palace located in the heart of the planet's main city was just as uncomfortable as Hux had anticipated it to be. The members of his senior staff that came were silent and mostly stared daggers at him, upset that they had been pulled from their duties to oversee a largely ceremonial ritual. They were squeezed into the small transport, stuck shoulder to shoulder, all looking grim and unhappy in their dress uniforms, wedged next to the Stormtrooper guards.

"Are you sure about those landing coordinates, Lieutenant?" the pilot called over his shoulder to Hux's aide as they neared the planet.

Ruchi peered at the console and then back at his datapad. "Yes. That was what was sent to us."

The pilot shrugged and, within moments, the shuttle had landed with a slight skid, slamming the passengers into one another.

"The ground's bogged down in mud," the pilot said by way of explanation as Hux shot him an irritated look.

The shuttle doors opened to a torrential downpour of sleety, near freezing rain. The horrid weather made it nearly impossible to see the palace, which lay more than half a kilometer ahead of them. Between the small patch of grass where the shuttle had landed and the palace, there was an immense thicket of thick vegetation with only a water-logged dirt path less than a meter wide to use as passage. Hux squared his shoulders, wishing that he had thought ahead to check the prevailing weather conditions before the excursion. He had assumed that it was unnecessary as they were simply going straight to the palace. He regretted that decision.

"Off we go," he said to his men, taking point as they filed out of the shuttle single file. The overgrown path made the going difficult and the men resorted to hacking at the out-reaching foliage to get through. Several of the men slipped on the slick trail, muddying their uniforms.

Several minutes later, they reached the building, limping and ragged, no longer in a nice tight formation. Hux rapped on the smallish door that lay in front of him and then turned to his aide. "They do know that we are coming?" He had to shout to be heard over the racket of the storm.

"Yes. Yes, of course."

A full minute passed before Hux impatiently knocked again.

After another 30 seconds or so, the door swung open slowly and a man, hunched over with age, peered out at them. "I saw you from the window. You landed in the Queen's garden. Look, you've cut down all of her prize plants. What brutes! She's going to be furious."

Hux swallowed hard, hoping that his men behind him did not just hear him getting dressed down by a servant. "May we come in? We are expected."

The servant sniffed in disdain, but opened the door wider to allow them to trudge in, tracking mud and dirt across the white marble floors.

"Follow me to the main room," the servant instructed, tutting in disapproval as he looked at the mess left by the men.

Hux's soggy boots squelched loudly with every step and his teeth began to chatter as the chilly air swirled around them. If anything, it was colder inside the palace that it was in the rain and he felt his nose begin to run. He glanced back at his retinue and the merely annoyed looks had morphed into utter hatred.

The servant led them down a long hall which ended in a pair of massive doors that were nearly fifteen meters high. He waved his hand over a pad to the right of one of the doors and they slowly swung open.

"General Hux and his entourage," the servant announced in a loud, clear voice.

There was a long wooden table lined with various dignitaries from around the planet, with an older couple with a regal bearing at its head. The man was tall, wearing heavy, dark robes and avoided eye contact. The woman was stunning for her age, her long gray and white hair wrapped in an elaborate braid. Hux strode the length of the massive table and was about to shake the man's hand when his aide whispered urgently in his ear. "It's a matriarchal society. She's Queen Valeran. He's just her husband."

"Queen Valeran," Hux said smoothly as he approached, kissing her hand. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you."

Her smile was like sunshine and, for a moment, Hux found himself sporting a genuine grin in return.

"General Hux. I was so sorry to hear that Supreme Leader Ren was . . . indisposed, but tales of your bravery and courage have reached even this modest system. We are most honored to have you as our guest." Her voice was low and deep and tinged with an accent that was almost musical.

"You flatter me, ma'am."

She gave a short bark of a laugh. "Perhaps a bit." She gave him a look of concern. "Are you ill as well, sir?"

"Ill?"

She waved at his face. "Not well . . . You will excuse me. I have difficulties with your language at times. It's just your nose. It's all red and . . . what's the word? Drippy."

Hux's eyes widened in embarrassment as his hand went to his face. "Uh . . .uh. We got caught in the downpour."

"Yes. Odd that you chose to park in my garden instead of the adjacent hanger."

Hux ground his teeth. "I was not aware that there was a hanger. I apologize. There must have been some confusion."

She snorted at that. "Well, you're the ones that seem so very miserable." She turned to her servant. "Please, fetch them something to dry off with."

"Thank you, your Majesty," Hux said, remembering his manners.

Her tone turned somber. "You've had a chance to carefully review the treaty and you stand ready to fulfill all parts of it?"

Hux had skimmed the treaty and his eyes had crossed after the first five minutes. He looked at the stack of papers at the Queen's right hand. It had to be nearly a meter high. "Of course." The lie fell easily from his lips.

"Then, let us begin."

For the next hour, Hux dutifully signed each subsection of the treaty and initialed each amendment, while dabbling ineffectually at his drenched clothes with the proffered towel. While parts of the treaty were mind-numbingly boring, each signature brought him one step closer to that inevitable day when he would be Supreme Leader and he did his best to try to pay attention.

"And now we will seal the treaty with the . . . What did you translate it as . . . ?" The Queen turned and looked expectantly at Hux's aide sitting at his side.

"The companion," Ruchi supplied with a ready smile.

"Companion?" Hux repeated slowly, feeling out of his depths.

"The eternal companion," his aide explained hastily. "As a demonstration of your goodwill, you will take one citizen from this planet as your lifelong companion. As long as the terms of the treaty are met and the companion is treated with respect and kindness, the treaty will remain valid."

 _Kindness?_ Hux couldn't remember when he had ever treated anyone or anything with kindness. Perhaps as child, before such ridiculous notions had been completely beaten out of him.

"Of course," he lied smoothly. "The companion." _Great_ , he thought. _A snivelling little rube from a backwater planet that will be underfoot_ _at all times. I'll have to find a way to hide him from Kylo._ The last thing he needed was yet another reason for Kylo to torment him.

"May I present my niece, Princess Avaleran," the Queen announced, sweeping to one side.

A side door opened and a woman in her mid-twenties strode in towards, her head held high. She was half a head shorter than him and her dark hair was set in a similar braid as her aunt's with a delicate gold ribbon woven in. Her eyes were so dark that Hux could not easily differentiate her iris from her pupil. Her figure was obscured by the bulky white robes that she wore, but her face was more than pleasing to look at. Hux found himself staring and forced his attention back on the Queen.

"And she will be my eternal companion?" Hux asked, certain that he was missing something.

"Yes. Let us begin the finalizing ceremony." The Queen held out her hand. "Please remove your glove."

Hux took off his soggy glove and tentatively placed his hand in the Queen's. Before he could react, he felt a long blade slicing deeply into his palm. His guards' hands flew to their blasters, but his aide held up a hand to stay them. "It's alright. Stand down. Holster your weapons. It's all part of the ceremony."

Hux shot his aide a dirty look as the Queen pressed his bleeding palm onto the final signature page of the treaty, smearing it in red. "Blood calls to blood. We shed blood now to avoid the shedding of blood in the future. We sacrifice now to avoid the sacrifices of others in the future. We bind ourselves together as one," she intoned gravely.

She wiped her blade on a white cloth and turned to her niece. "Your turn, my dear."

The young woman nodded and held out her trembling hand and Hux couldn't help but notice that her aunt barely nicked her, drawing only a few drops that she diligently squeezed over Hux's.

"And now to seal it," the Queen intoned, pricking her finger and adding her own blood to the mix on the page.

The Queen came behind both Hux and the princess as they stood side by side, placing her hands lightly on their backs. "The bond has been completed. The treaty has been ratified. As long as the terms of our treaty are fulfilled and the well-being of the companion is assured, our treaty stands."

"Good. Fine." Hux grabbed the white cloth from the table and wound it over his bleeding palm, ready to go back to the ship. "Are we quite done here?"

"Yes," the Queen answered and then turned to her niece, giving her a tight hug. "Make sure to contact me weekly. Without fail."

The princess nodded. "I will. I promise." She walked to her uncle and gave him a quick squeeze as well.

"You have been given a sacred treasure, General Hux. Make sure that you care for her," the Queen reminded.

"Yes . . . yes. Of course. Respect and kindness. I shan't forget." He gave the princess an insincere smile. "I suppose that we should be on our way."

"Yes. I just need to arrange transport of my things." Avaleran replied.

"Your things?"

"I'm going to live with you for the rest of your life. I've got quite of lot of possessions to transport to your vessel."

"Don't you mean the rest of your life?"

She smiled. "We live, on average, about fifty more years than you. Probably more, considering your profession. First Order generals rarely die of old age."

Hux tried to bury his grimace. "I'll have my aide assist in moving your belongings. I'll need to send for a second shuttle. Perhaps this time, we can actually get it into the hanger."

Avaleran erupted in a burst of laughter. "You all do look a bit . . . pitiful."

 _An eternal companion_ , Hux thought, eyeing her once again. Hopefully, he'd be able to hide her away in an abandoned corner of the ship and not worry about her ever again. Having someone, no matter how entrancing, hanging around him for the next sixty years seemed intolerable to say the least. He hoped that he'd soon be able to forget that the ceremony had ever happened.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Author's Note- Your kind words are the direct cause for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! I really appreciate your reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The first thing that Hux did when he arrived back to his quarters was strip down and throw every blasted article of muddy, ripped clothing in the trash receptacle. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so cold and miserable. He ran a hot shower that nearly scalded his skin in an attempt to warm up. He scrubbed so hard that his skin turned red as he tried to wipe the muck of that planet off of him.

The ride back in the shuttle had been even more uncomfortable than the ride to the planet. Every single man was soaked and dirty and the looks of contempt and their stony silence put Hux on edge. At least the pilot was able to move the shuttle to the adjoining hanger, making another trek through the sleet unnecessary.

Hux dressed quickly after showering, wanting to get on with his day. He had a dozen things he had to oversee that day and the treaty and the infernal ceremony had taken longer than he had anticipated. As a small luxury, he prepared himself a cup of Tarine tea, letting the bitter brew wake him up and taking comfort in its warmth.

He grabbed a nearby datapad, grimacing at the reports as he began to sift through them. There was a depressing level of administrative tasks he had taken over in the last few months, leaving him little time to pursue any military advances. The First Order's finances were an absolute mess, rife with corruption, bribery, and outright thievery, not to mention losses due to persistent Resistance sabotage. They were so far in the red that they never looked like they'd be solvent again. The First Order owed money to hundreds of money lenders throughout the galaxy and half the time, their repayments were late or nonexistent. Even when the First Order tried "requisitioning" and "commandeering" resources from the planets under their control, there was always more losses than there were gains. And as tempting as it was to just wipe out a group of troublemakers in a region, dead people don't pay any taxes.

Even on his own ship, every single budget was bleeding them dry. Hux had tried to make economies, of course, but underpaying people just ended with an increase in theft and misappropriation. Skimping on safety issues led to an increase in injuries and casualties, which were costly. Not to mention, morale was at an all time low, which normally didn't concern Hux, but he'd learnt to be careful. He'd already had one Stormtrooper betray the First Order, he couldn't allow another one.

Hux had grown up on tales on the Empire and all its glory. He heard of its efficiency, its ruthless precision, its utter determination to bring order to a lawless galaxy, despite tremendous odds. It was what inspired him since his youth, spurred him on to do anything to serve and rise in the ranks of the First Order.

But now, he felt as if he were seeing behind the veil and that the scales were falling from his eyes. There was no efficiency. There was no order. Everything was spinning out of control. And the worst thing was, it was never really under control in the first place. There was just a slick veneer to fool the masses.

After Snoke died, Hux reviewed hundreds of top secret documents that showed the First Order to be nothing more than an elaborate shell game, moving finances from one place to another and enriching those in power. It was a system that was doomed to failure and even if he ever achieved his dream of becoming Supreme Leader, he knew of no way of correcting it without scrubbing the whole thing and starting again from scratch. He was doing all he could to stave off its near inevitable collapse.

He felt utterly alone in his concerns. He couldn't approach Kylo, whose single-minded focus on the Rebels left him completely unconcerned about what happened to the First Order as a whole. Hux had to admit that he missed Phasma, but he'd had to reassign her once she'd recovered from her near fatal fall. There was an outpost that they'd nearly lost to the Resistance and he needed her expertise there. She had a keen military mind and was in the process of bringing the rebellious population under heel. He couldn't afford, however, to bring her back to the Fleet until she'd completely squashed any lingering Rebel influence.

Hux sighed and sat up in his seat. Feeling sorry for himself and his life of solitude was not in his nature. He had a hundred tasks to attend to that day and indulging in self-pity was not on the agenda.

0000000000

That evening, after a particularly tiresome meeting about the procurement of food and supplies for a far-flung First Order outpost, Hux was just sitting down to dinner when his aide came by his quarters to update him on the princess.

"I take it that you've gotten our guest settled." Hux began on his meal, not bothering to ask Ruchi to sit down after he entered. Hux always ate alone and he wasn't about to play the host for his own aide. He looked up briefly before returning to review a report he'd just been sent.

"Yes . . . quite a fetching creature, if you don't mind my saying."

"I suppose," Hux admitted, staring down at his datapad, trying to figure out how the ship was spending quite so much money on sanitation expenses.

"She could pose a distraction to the crew."

Hux squinted at his aide, wondering what he was going on about. "She's not the only female on board. And there are nearly 20,000 members of the crew all told. She'll hardly stand out."

"No . . . but she's different. A novelty."

"I suppose," Hux replied, losing patience with the conversation. "Do you have anything more to add?"

"She did seem . . . . displeased about where her quarters were located. She asked where you were staying."

"Me? That's odd." Hux had specifically ordered that she be placed as far away from him as possible. It had taken a while to figure out the logistics of exactly where to stash her away. They could hardly stick her in a closet, but finding a suite of rooms befitting her station as royalty that was sufficiently far away from Hux's quarters had been a bit of a challenge for his aide.

"She was rather . . . anxious about it. She's requested a meeting with you to discuss it."

Hux rolled his eyes. First Ren and now another spoiled brat to deal with. "I don't have time for that."

"She's rather insistant I'm afraid. She believes that you are violating the terms of the treaty."

Hux set down his fork and rubbed the sides of his temples with both hands. If she was being so difficult about such a minor thing, he hated to imagine what the next sixty years were going to look like. "Fine. Fine. I'll meet with her tomorrow morning. First thing."

"I doubt she'll find that satisfactory. She wanted to meet tonight."

Hux glanced at his datapad, full of meetings and flowcharts and expense reports. "She'll have to learn to live with disappointment."

00000000

Hux awoke the next morning to an impatient rap at his door. He looked blearily over at the time and winced. It was a least an hour earlier than he'd set his alarm for and it had been another horrid night of restless sleep and formless nightmares that he could no longer remember.

"Who is it?" he snapped, not ready to leave the warmth of his bed.

"Princess Avaleran. We were supposed to meet this morning. First thing."

Hux groaned. Obviously "first thing in the morning" meant "wake someone up at an ungodly hour" in her language. "Give me a moment."

He sat up, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He stretched and winced as his neck was still quite sore. The tension of the past day had inflamed his aching muscles. He dressed gingerly, trying to take care not to aggravate the area even more. After a few moments, he was ready and opened the door for the waiting princess.

She looked quite different from that last time he saw her. Gone were the bulky, padded robes and elaborate hairstyle. Her hair was done in a single long braid with a few soft wisps of dark hair escaping. She was wearing a long-sleeved fitted dress of heavy blue wool that came down to her ankles. Despite the modesty of the garment, Hux couldn't help but notice that she was just as shapely as he'd assumed, and then shook his head to wipe away the errant thought.

"Why am I on the other side of the ship from you? That doesn't seem to make sense to me." She swept into his room, waving a datapad in her hand.

Hux bit back a snarky retort, trying his best to strike a conciliatory tone. "Companions . . . just aren't that close in our culture. It's more of a 'see each other once a month' type thing. I'm sure you understand."

"Well, eternal companions mean something very different for us. This arrangement does not fulfill the terms of the treaty. I think your translators made a mistake."

Hux felt his heart sink. The last thing he needed was for some cultural misunderstanding to tank the treaty. "A mistake?"

"I've been reviewing the treaty and the translation all night. I don't think that companion is the correct word."

"It isn't?" _How about a 'pain in the neck'? Is that the right translation?_ He clenched his fists and closed his eyes in a bid to calm himself and not further provoke the princess. "And what would be a more accurate translation?"

"Give me a moment." She pored over the datapad in her hand, biting her lower lip. "Let me see . . . . ah, there it is."

"What is it?" He snapped, his impatience and exhaustion getting the better of him.

"Wife."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Hux shook his head. "I must have misheard you. What exactly did you say?"

"Wife."

"Yes, well. There must be some sort of misunderstanding." Hux strode to the nearest comm link and opened a line to his aide. "Lt. Ruchi, have the translator who worked on the Aprollan treaty come to my chambers immediately, along with some guards."

Hux tried to make sense of what he just heard. "Are you quite certain that you've translated it properly? You're my wife?" He could barely say the word.

"Absolutely. Like I said, I spent all night on it. I'm your wife. And you're my husband."

Hux visibly winced at that. "So this treaty was predicated on an arranged marriage? Why didn't you let us know? Why hide it? Why bury it under a mound of paperwork?"

"We didn't hide it," she protested. "We've been working with the First Order and the details of this treaty for months. It was clearly stated in the terms. It's something that we've done on our planet for millennia, cementing political treaties and alliances with arranged marriages in a bid to create a lasting peace. It's not that unusual. And I want to remind you, my aunt specifically asked you if you had read the terms of the treaty and were ready to fulfill them."

Hux massaged the bridge of his nose, trying to collect himself. "And what exactly does being husband and wife entail?"

Her eyes widened at that. "Uh . . . . Didn't you have this conversation with your parents as a child?"

Hux sucked in a noisy breath of frustration. "That's not . . . . I know what the general term means. What I'm trying to say is, in your culture, when there's an arranged marriage, how do things proceed? What do you expect of me as a . . . . husband? Will you move into my quarters? Are we expected to produce . . . heirs?"

She laughed at the look of discomfort on his face. "Heavens no. At least not right away in an arranged marriage. There's usually a rather long period of transition, perhaps a year or more. The newly married couple spends time together and gets to know one another. For example, I'd move into the quarters next door and we'd share meals together and slowly become better acquainted. As for heirs . . ." She colored slightly. " . . . . we are both young and healthy and we have quite a lot of time before we need to even contemplate that side of our marriage."

Hux's mind raced. He had to find a way out of this entanglement without getting the treaty nullified. His stomach roiled. What would Kylo do when he found out?

Ava gave him a small smile. "What's your first name?"

Hux furrowed his brow at the change of subject. "My first name?"

"Well, we are married after all. I think I deserve to know my husband's name. I can't just call you 'General' all the time."

 _I'd actually prefer that._ Hux shrugged. "Armitage."

"I'm sorry. What?"

"Armitage."

"Oh my. Did your parents not like you?"

"Not particularly."

"Do you have a nickname?"

"General," he replied in an irritated monotone.

Her smile widened. "Well, you can call me Ava. Most of my friends do."

Hux had to suppress the urge to tell her that he had absolutely no desire to be her friend, much less her husband. He settled with giving her a quick nod.

Luckily, there was a tentative knock at the door, which saved Hux from having to continue with the conversation. "Come in."

In walked his aide with a cadet who couldn't have been more than 20, along with a pair of Stormtroopers.

Hux shook his head when he saw the cadet and clasped his hands behind his back as he circled the young man. "Are we recruiting translators from the nursery schools now?"

"No, General," his aide replied. "He's the only one on board who had any knowledge of ancient Aprollan, the form of the language used for their official documents."

The young man stepped towards Hux, crumpling up his hat with trembling hands, sweat dripping from his brow. "My mom was Aprollan and taught me some of it before she passed."

Hux turned once more to his aide. "This was the best you could do? The full resources of the First Order and we had to settle with this pathetic display of second-hand knowledge?"

"I did ask for more time, sir. It's a rare language and . . ." the aide began.

Hux raised a hand to cut him off and then pointed at him. "You . . . I don't care if you have to learn ancient Aprollan yourself. Pore over every single syllable of that document and make sure that there aren't any more surprises. I just found out that ludicrous ceremony I went through means we're married. Double check every stipulation in that contract. I don't want to owe the Queen my first born child or something even worse, an increase in the negotiated price of the raw goods."

Hux then pointed at the shaking young man in front of him. "And what to do with you?"

Hux thought for a moment and then grabbed the blaster from a nearby Stormtrooper's holster, shooting the young man.

"No!" Ava cried, running to the boy's side as he lay crumpled on the ground. "You killed him!"

"No. It was set to stun." Hux leaned over to the Stormtrooper and whispered, "Wasn't it?"

The Stormtrooper looked down at the weapon Hux had just handed back to him and nodded quickly.

Hux gave his wife a practiced smile. "It's standard operating procedure to have all blasters holstered in the stun position after that horrible incident at the First Order Children's Parade. Stormtroopers do tend to get a bit skittish around fireworks. He'll be fine in an hour or so. A year or two working at a labor camp will teach him to be more diligent when it comes to his assignments."

"Please. Don't do that. It was an honest mistake," Ava pled.

"Too much starch in my shirts is an honest mistake. He's lucky I don't execute him for that little stunt. The hard work and the fresh air will do him good. Teach him the value of being more contentious."

"This is ridiculous. You must be joking."

Hux blinked, not used to having his commands questioned. He turned to the pair of Stormtroopers. "Take him away."

Ava stood up, blocking the Stormtroopers who advanced on the young man. "The hell you will. You can't do this!"

"Watch me," he countered, motioning to the men who bent down to begin to drag the boy out.

"Stop. Just stop." She swallowed hard. "Take me instead."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm offering to go in his place. My life for his. In my culture, it's called substitutionary grace. We can elect to take the punishment of another."

Hux furrowed his brow and looked at her as though she had sprouted a second head. "What an idiotic concept. Whyever would you do that for a welp of a boy that you've never even met before?" he scoffed. _No wonder her people cannot properly negotiate a treaty. They are all simpletons. Although sending her away would mean a few years without having a wife hanging about. This may be the perfect way to get out of this predicament. Perhaps I could find a way to extend her visit there indefinitely_ , he thought and smiled at the idea.

His aide shook his head. He leaned in and whispered, "A hard labor camp would hardly constitute taking care of her well-being. Not to mention how badly it would reflect on you to have a wife who's been incarcerated."

Hux wrinkled his nose in disgust. _That blasted treaty._ "That won't be necessary." He sighed. "I suppose a demotion and a reassignment to kitchen detail should suffice for him."

"Thank you," Ava said.

Hux felt uncomfortable with the look of gratitude on her face. "Yes. Um . . . " He turned towards the Stormtroopers and waved towards the man on the floor. "Take him back to his quarters and inform his superiors of his new . . . position."

As he turned back to Ava, a thought hit Hux like a flash. Whether he liked it or not, he now had a royal wife. Here he was, the illegitimate son of a kitchen maid and a general, whose own children would be considered royalty. There had to be a way to work this new situation to his advantage. If there was one thing he knew, it was how to spin things to bolster his own political position.

Hux gave Ava an insincere smile. "Let's go ahead and get you moved into the quarters next door."

Author's note- Thank you so much for your sweet comments. It gives me the encouragement I need to continue writing this story when my life gets super hectic.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next morning, once again, there was a knock at Hux's door at an obscenely early hour.

 _I already hate married life_ , he thought, dragging himself out of his warm bed. "I'm coming!" he called out testily as he quickly dressed. He couldn't quite find his boots, so he threw on a pair of slippers and opened the door.

Ava smiled up at him, irritatingly chipper for that time of the morning. "Good morning."

"Does everyone on your planet get up so very early?" he sneered as she waltzed through the door, carrying a large earthen container.

"There's a time difference, from the palace to the ships' clocks. It threw me off," she offered by way of explanation as she walked over to the tiny kitchen area and set down the pot.

"Huumph," Hux grunted and then peered under his bed to find his boots. He was usually a creature of habit, setting out everything just so for the morning. But the night before he'd been exhausted and his clothes ended up in a pile at the foot of his bed.

"Why do you wear lifts?" Ava called through the open door to his bedroom area as Hux sat down on the bed to put on his boots.

"Lifts?"

She walked through the doorway to his bedroom. "Your boots. You're at least three inches shorter with them off. Though, you're still quite tall, even without them."

"That's just the way the boots are made," he said.

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that Ren is taller than you?" she asked in a playful tone, drawing near to where he sat.

"Hardly," he replied, although his hand went self-consciously to his neck.

"What happened to you there?"

"Nothing," he said as he yanked at his collar in an attempt to cover the now dull brownish bruise.

"It's not nothing. Let me see." She leaned in, pulled the collar back, and gasped slightly at what she saw. She laid her warm hands on his neck, cupping it gently. "What happened to you?"

He blinked at the intimacy of her touch, not able to speak for a moment and not able to move away for some reason. "Kylo . . . . I mean. Supreme Leader Ren . . . . when he's displeased . . . and that's quite often . . . he uses the Force and he . . ." Hux trailed off, unable to finish, looking down.

"Why haven't you had a physician look at it and try to speed up the healing?"

Hux thought of the humiliation of having a doctor see what Kylo did him and just shook his head.

"I'm . . . I'm sorry."

Hux looked up and recoiled at the look of pity and compassion on her face. He was not some weak child to be coddled. "Shall we have breakfast?" he asked, desperate to change the subject. He quickly stood up and brushed past her, ending the conversation as he strode to the kitchen area.

She followed after him. "I brought something to eat. It's a delicacy from my planet," she said eagerly, waving over to the large brown pot that smelt of sweet spices.

"I prefer my own food," he said tightly, retrieving a small bowl from an upper cabinet.

"Oh," she said in a small voice, looking down at her hands.

Hux looked at her for a long moment. "It costs me no extra work to make some for you as well, I suppose," he relented, grabbing a second bowl.

"I'd like that," she replied with a smile.

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From then on, Hux prepared all of their meals, morning, noon, and night. It was not out of a sense of generosity, the sentiment was completely foreign to him, but rather out of his nagging paranoia about being poisoned. He trusted no one, least of all his civilian wife. If they had to eat together, he'd be the one in control of the ingredients.

He never paid any attention to her while they ate, staring at reports or newsfeeds on his data pad as she prattled on about one thing or another. She was a pretty little thing, and she seemed much like a songbird chirping away at him. While he'd hardly classify her visits as pleasant, they were hardly the horrid experience he'd anticipated. Her soothing presence was almost a welcome relief from the treacherous vipers he was surrounded by every day and the pressing concerns of the First Order.

Every report he read about the First Order made it clear that their position of power in the galaxy was growing more and more precarious. Hux would relocate resources and men to put down one uprising, just to have another spring up on the other side of the galaxy where their troops were spread too thin. His own generals, ignorant of the dire situation of the First Order as a whole, all bayed for his blood, outraged that their own battalions were suffering from shortages.

And, on his own ship, there were factions that were going more and more contentious. Verbal disagreements between Stormtroopers who were loyal to opposing generals had blossomed into scuffles and Hux feared that it wasn't long before there was full-blown fight and someone ended up dead, a martyr for their cause. He did his best to redirect their aggression into subduing the local populace of whatever planet they were monitoring, but there was only so much he could do with nearly 20,000 of them on board. He could hardly track the shifting loyalties and divisions in the troops.

So, as irritating as it was to have his solitude stolen away at every mealtime, at least Ava's silly chatter provided a mindless diversion from the responsibilities that weighed ever heavier on him. And, Hux had found that he could reference his newly married status into a local royal family as he tried to expand the First Order's influence. More and more planets in her system were brokering deals with the First Order as a result. He may have never wanted a wife, but at the very least, she was the one person on board who didn't make his life any harder.

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One morning, a few months after their marriage, Ava arrived quite a bit later than usual, her clothes in disarray, her hair uncombed. She tugged at her left sleeve as she entered his quarters and Hux noticed that a white bandage was sticking out a bit.

"What happened to you there?"

"I fell and scraped my arm. I tried to bandage it the best I could. I studied healing at the palace, but it's hard to bandage one's self."

"Why didn't you go to sickbay and have a doctor look at it? It could become septic."

"And then you'd be a widower. You'd like that," she replied, her tone more sharp than playful.

Hux blinked at that. He had to admit, a few months ago he'd have rejoiced to be free of their entanglement by any means necessary. But now . . . . "Don't be silly. How poorly would it reflect on me that my own wife didn't get proper medical treatment?"

"And we all know how important appearances are to you, don't we?"

Hux refused to be baited, no matter the truth of her statement. "Why didn't you go to sickbay?"

"I . . . I didn't know where it was," she admitted. "This ship is huge."

"You could have asked any of the crew. They could have told you."

"They're hardly the most welcoming bunch. Every time they see me, they look like they want to throw me in the brig."

Hux rolled his eyes. "It's a military ship. Anyone out of uniform is usually a prisoner. I suppose we could find you a First Order uniform to wear."

She visibly recoiled at that. "No," she said firmly. "That's out of the question."

"Well, then, why didn't you ask me where the sickbay was?"

"Honestly, I didn't think you'd care. You barely seem to tolerate my presence."

Hux opened his mouth to rebut what she said and then closed it again. He'd hardly given her the time of day in the last few months, replying to almost everything she said in monosyllabic utterances. Their current argument was their longest conversation in weeks.

He swallowed hard, for the first time realizing how his behavior must have seemed to her. "Nevertheless, you need medical care. As soon as we finish eating, I'll escort you to the sickbay. End of discussion."

Author's Note- Thank you once again for all of your encouragement!


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

The long walk to the sick bay after breakfast was tense. Hux realized that it was the first time that he was actually out "in public" with his wife since the entirety of their interactions happened in his quarters. Everyone who passed them by seemed to stare just a few seconds too long, putting Hux on edge.

He glanced over at her messy hair and wrinkled clothes and resisted the temptation to order her back to her quarters to pull herself together. One of the few benefits of being married to Ava was the fact that she was so fetching and having the crew see her for the first time with him looking like a ragamuffin was galling to Hux. Her digs about his focus on appearances still stung, though, and he kept his tongue. He held his head up high and tried his best to ignore the officiers around him.

He supposed that normal couples would have walked arm in arm or held hands as they made their way through the halls, but it was all he could do to slow his steps enough so that she wasn't running to keep up with him. He had a million things to attend to that day and the last thing he needed was a side trip to the sickbay throwing his schedule off.

After entirely too long of a walk, they arrived at their destination. An officious looking protocol droid manned the waiting area which was filled to the brim with moaning patients without a free seat in sight.

"Nature of the illness or injury?" the droid inquired as they approached the desk where it sat.

"My wife's been hurt. Open the sickbay area. She needs to see the doctor."

"If it's a non-life threatening injury, a med-droid can see her in . . . . approximately four hours, twenty-eight minutes, thirty-four seconds."

"I am General Hux and I will see the doctor immediately or you'll be dismantled and sold for spare parts."

"I see. Yes, of course. You may enter immediately," and with that, the sickbay doors opened.

General Hux swept in with Ava trailing behind him, doing his best to ignore the sick and injured that lay in bed after bed around him. The sickbay had been constructed as entirely too small for the size of the ship and whenever he'd visited, it'd been overflowing. It was yet another gross miscalculation by the First Order, skimping on the medical care of its ships' crews. It ended up costing them more in the end, as injuries and illnesses turned to fatalities at a disturbingly high rate.

Hux strode towards the only human on the medical staff, a man in his late fifties, salt and pepper hair gracing his temples. "Doctor Ferran, this is my wife, Princess Avaleran."

The doctor handed a datapad to a nearby med-droid and gave a short bow. "My pleasure, Princess Avaleran."

"You can call me Ava."

"And I'm Rolim," he replied.

"She's been injured. Her arm. I need you to see to her wound," Hux said. "Clear a bed for her."

"I'm sorry, General. Our beds are filled by those who are unable to sit or stand. I could treat your wife over there at my desk. There's a seat." He motioned to the far corner of the sickbay.

"Clear. A. Bed," Hux repeated.

"Don't be silly. I walked all the way over here. I don't need a bed, especially when there are others far worse off than I am." Ava started walking over to the doctor's alcove.

Hux followed his wife, impatiently looking at the time.

The doctor sat down and began to take Ava's vital signs. "General Hux, I was wondering if you'd had a chance to look at my report on Andovian fever? There's a vaccine and inoculating the troops could begin as soon as the end of the week."

 _Everyone wants money. If only he knew how little we actually had_ , Hux thought. He'd gone over the numbers from the doctor's report and the costs for the vaccine for the troops would wipe out any financial reserve that they had. "The mortality rate is moderate at best, and, to be honest, anyone who can't survive it isn't worth being in our army," he said coldly, doing his best to obscure his real motivation. Being considered ruthless was better than being thought to be penniless. "If that's all? I trust you can fix her up. I have urgent matters to attend to."

"Yes, General," the doctor said in a resigned tone.

Hux hesitated a bit, not knowing what he should say to his wife. He supposed some expression of concern was in order. "Well . . . um . . . take care, Ava. I'm leaving you in good hands."

"Yes . . . thanks for taking me to the sick bay," she replied in a monotone voice.

He gave her a curt nod and hurried out of the sickbay, his mind already focused on the first meeting he was to attend in fifteen minutes.

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The doctor watched General Hux go, his heart sinking. He'd spent hours on that report, trying to appeal to the cold, dead heart inside that monster, using every tactic he could think of to convince him and Hux had just dismissed it out of hand. It served him right to think that he could make that brute see reason.

He sighed, turning back to his patient. Her nervousness was evident in the slight tremble in her hands.

"So, tell me. How did you hurt yourself?" He did his best to soothe her.

"I fell," she said flatly, offering no elaboration.

The doctor took a deep breath, weighing each word carefully. "Did . . . did your husband do that to you? You can tell me. I'll never tell another soul."

Her eyes widened at that. "No . . . he's never even touched me."

He caught the double meaning of her words. He'd heard of the arranged marriage, but he didn't know that they were quite that distant. "Well . . . then . . . that's good to know. General Hux is . . . ." He didn't know quite what to say. Slandering a senior officer could earn him a swift execution. He wouldn't wish that man on his worst enemy, much less the poor woman in front of him.

"I know what he is. And what he isn't." She shrugged. "But, he didn't do this."

"Well, let's get you fixed up, shall we?"

"How hard is it to get off this ship?" she asked abruptly as he took off her makeshift bandage.

"Married life isn't all it's cracked up to be?" he quipped, trying to keep the mood light as he inspected her arm.

"You don't know the half of it."

The doctor took a deep breath and regarded her closely. "I only know of three ways. One, with a pilot who has a flight manifesto that's been approved by a superior officer. For example, when they took the shuttle down to your planet. The second, if you're accompanied by a senior officer."

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "And the third?"

"When we're under attack. They scramble all the Tie Fighters and there's usually a lot of confusion. But even if you were able to leave then, you'd most likely be blown up by an enemy ship by mistake."

She blew out a long breath of frustration. "So, there's no hope."

"There's always hope. Just sometimes it shows up where you're not expecting." The doctor looked at her a long moment. "Did you do this bandage yourself?

She nodded. "I studied healing for several years. I had hoped to become a physician but . . . . duty called."

"What do you do all day? On the ship?"

"I eat meals with my husband and in between . . . I read. I write messages home. I look at the newsfeeds."

"So, I take it . . . . you're bit bored and lonely?"

She gave a short bark of laughter. "Terribly so."

"How'd you like a job?"

"A job?"

"We could really use the help. You've seen how understaffed we are. It's just me and the medical droids. They do their jobs adequately enough, but to be honest, they've been stripped of all personality by orders of the First Order. They've had problems with droids with their own agendas in the past. And, I have to admit . . . I'm going a bit batty with no one to talk to. Given your background in medicine . . . . I'd love to have you come work here."

She bit her lower lip. "I hope you don't mind me asking . . . it's just that, you're not like the other people on board."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Oh, it is. It definitely is."

His eyes welled with tears, but he blinked them back. "My son . . . he was convicted of smuggling and sent to a hard labor camp. For every year I work here, they take a year off of his sentence."

"I'm . . . . I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "There's not much to be done. I just keep my head down, do my work, and hope against hope that someday I'll see my boy again."

"How . . . how long have you been working for the First Order?"

"Nearly seven years . . . . only thirteen more to go." He gave her a wan smile. "So, what do you say?"

She smiled back at him. "I'd love to work with you."

Author's Note- Thanks for all of the sweet encouragement! You are the best!


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

Hux waited a bit nervously for Ava to arrive for their mid-day meal. He knew that things had somehow shifted between them and he was anxious for them to return to their normal patterns. He saw no benefit to them being at odds, especially since they were locked together for the next several decades.

He smiled as she entered, trying his best to smooth things over. "I trust the doctor was able to heal you."

"Yes. I'm good as new." She swallowed and took a deep breath. "Thanks for taking me to the sickbay. I . . . appreciate it."

"You're welcome." Hux was surprised by her sentiment, but glad that the tension between them had eased. He busied himself with reheating the stew that he'd made the night before while she set the table, each of them repeating the same pattern that they'd done dozens of times before.

"Doctor Ferran's a wonderful physician," Ava said once they began their meal.

"Yes. I suppose he is." Hux squinted at the numbers on his datapad, irritated by the high number of defects in their last shipment of heavy arms. He grabbed a piece of bread and absent-mindedly dipped it in the stew as he mentally calculated how difficult it would be to find a different supplier.

"It's hard on him, just working with med-droids all day."

Hux tensed, setting down his datapad and focusing on the conversation for once. "We cannot add another physician at the moment. Personnel . . . ."

"Oh, I know. I wasn't asking you to."

"Oh."

"He offered me a job. Volunteering to help out at the sickbay."

Hux thought for a moment. In general, having a wife working in the sickbay seemed a bit . . . beneath him. But, on the other hand, it might keep her occupied and it was evident that they needed the assistance. "Very well. You have my permission."

"Your permission? I didn't ask for your permission. I can do as I want."

"You might not need nor want my permission as a husband, but, whether you like it or not, I oversee all of the ship's assignments, including those in the sickbay."

"I'm not a member of your crew."

"So you keep reminding me. What are we arguing about again? You want to work in the sickbay. I'll allow it."

"I wasn't . . . ." She sighed. "Fine." She bit her lower lip. "Why is Doctor Ferran onboard?"

"Because we need a physician."

"It wasn't his choice. He's here because of his son."

Hux blew out a long breath of frustration. He knew Dr. Ferran wasn't his biggest fan and it was obvious that he had immediately run to his wife to complain about his situation and to try to turn his wife against him. "Look, it's that whole substitutionary grace rigamarole you talked about. See, that's what it is in action. You should be touched by his sacrifice. A father stepping in to help his son."

"A forty year sentence for smuggling? How is that fair?"

"Fair!", he scoffed, throwing down his utensils in exasperation. "He was running guns for the Resistance. If I had been the judge for his trial, I would have had him executed."

"That doesn't surprise me."

Hux ground his teeth. "While the Republic dilly-dallied and wasted their resources for years, criminal activity throughout the galaxy flourished. More than half of our funds go to stamping out the lawlessness that was encouraged by the Republic's toothless reforms and lax enforcement. Do you have any idea how many of these smugglers augment their salaries? It starts with guns, then moves to drugs, and then, before you know it, you've got entire populations sold as workers and carted around the galaxy to the highest bidder. Don't think for a moment that their hands are clean."

"So, the First Order's a hero in all this?"

 _Hardly,_ he thought. _We've done far worse, slaughtered civilians by the millions. All for nothing_. But he couldn't say that; he could barely admit it even to himself. So, he changed tactics. "Do you have any idea of the expense of a qualified doctor? He's the best we can get, under the circumstances."

"What circumstances? Is the First Order in financial difficulty?"

"Of course not!" Hux blustered, irritated that he let her get so close to the truth and tired of quarrelling during the only time he had to relax during the day. "Look. The discussion is closed. If you want to work in the sickbay, it's fine by me. It's obvious they need the help. But, don't come to me again with this nonsense about releasing the doctor from the debt he's trying to pay off."

"Of course, General," she replied icily, standing up from the table and sweeping out of the room, leaving her meal untouched.

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Dinner that night and breakfast the following morning were uneasy at best. They barely spoke two words to each other. Hux felt out of sorts and irrationally angry at himself. He was used to disputes and quarrels between himself and his senior staff, but the strain between himself and Ava seemed almost unbearable.

At the mid-day meal, Hux resolved to find a way to ease the tension between them. He had to admit that he had been treating her much more like a subordinate instead of wife. He honestly had no idea how to treat her. He'd hardly had any model of a healthy, loving marital relationship as a child. His father had cheated on his wife with a kitchen maid, with Armitage as the result of the infidelity. Then, his father abandoned both women, never mentioning them again.

As much as he hated his father, it galled Hux to realize that he was following the same pattern. He had nearly sent Ava to a hard labor camp for years, just because she posed an inconvenience to him. It disgusted him to see his father's behavior in himself. _Like father, like son_ , he thought bitterly.

Hux checked the time. Ava seemed to be running late. He decided to set the table and prepare the meal for the both of them. He had found a grilled meat dish that Ava enjoyed and spent extra time to get it just the way she liked it.

Twenty minutes passed. Then, thirty. Hux realized that she wasn't coming. The food had cooled to point of being nearly inedible, but he shoved it in his mouth quickly, not wanting it to go to waste. He briefly considered storming down to the sickbay to demand to see his wife, but he had another meeting with a half dozen generals in less than fifteen minutes and decided his ire would have to wait until dinner.

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The rest of the day went by in a blur for Hux. He tried to focus on the numerous messages he received and the endless underlings pressing him for his attention, but his mind kept returning to his miserable meal. A lifetime of strain and tension seemed to stretch out before him.

Ava arrived on time that evening and Hux couldn't help himself, barking at her as soon as she entered. "Where were you? At mid-day?"

"Working," she said flatly as she immediately went to cabinet with the plates and utensils and began to set the table.

"You are supposed to come here to eat." He walked towards her, his voice rising with each word.

She shrugged, her back still towards him. "We were busy. It slipped my mind."

"Slipped your mind? I waited for nearly an hour!" He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.

She turned to him, rolling her eyes. "You spend all your time on your datapad when I'm here. Why does it matter whether we eat together or not?"

"That . . . . that was our agreement," he sputtered.

"Yes. It was. Our agreement was to share meals together in an effort to get to know one another. To further the process of transforming this arranged marriage into a real marriage. But, I've been here for months and you've barely spoken to me. It's obvious that you have no intention of holding up your end of the bargain. You treat me like an inconvenience that you hardly notice." She set the plates down in a clatter, clearly frustrated.

Hux took a step back. "You're . . . not an inconvenience. Look . . . . I'll put away the datapad during our meals," he relented.

"And actually talk to me?"

"Yes. Yes, of course."

"Good."

"Good." Hux took a deep breath, deciding to start right away. "How was your day?"

She finished setting the table as Hux heated up the leftovers from the mid-day meal. "Busy . . . . did you know that the med-droids hadn't been updated in five years? Their medical knowledge data banks were completely out of date."

Hux rubbed his eyes in weariness. _Great. More work for me to do._ He racked his brain, trying to figure out how he was going to find a way to update the droids, wondering exactly how much it was going to cost them. "No. I wasn't aware."

"It took us all afternoon, but Dr. Ferran and I were able to patch through the update using a spare protocol droid. They're good as new now."

Hux brightened at that, glad to be relieved of yet another duty. "Thank you. That's a great service to the First Order." Perhaps having a wife in sickbay was going to be an asset after all. She seemed bright enough and eager to help out.

Her lip curled a bit and she shook her head. "I didn't do it for the First Order. I did it for my patients."

"Who are First Order troops," he pointed out as he set the food on the table and motioned for her to join him.

"But still . . . ." She took a deep breath as she sat down beside him. "Look . . . let's not argue . . . . . how was your day?"

Hux blinked. He considered lying, but he really wasn't in the mood. "Honestly, it was horrid."

She gave him a small smile as she picked up her fork. "Tell me all about it."

000000

FN-1782 had to admit, being in sickbay had vastly improved since the last time he'd visited. The new doctor meant that wait times were cut in half and it didn't hurt that she was rather attractive. Normally, he did all that he could to avoid being put out on medical leave, but given the circumstances, he was more than happy to be off his feet and in a sickbay bed.

She quickly finished bandaging up the leg that he'd injured in short scuffle with a pickpocket while on shore leave. She gave him a blinding smile. "Make sure to take those pills twice a day to ward off infection and don't forget to change the bandage a few times a day. Now, is that all?"

"Uh . . . not quite."

"What's the matter?"

He wasn't quite ready to leave yet, so he held out his hand. "My wrist. Sometimes . . . it'll ache sometimes and I don't know why."

"Hmmm . . . Well, let me scan it for you." She picked up a small metal device from a tray and passed it over his wrist, squinting at the electronic display. "It seems as though there's a foreign metal object in there. Let me consult with the doctor."

She stood and gave him a brief smile as she walked over to Dr. Ferran's desk at the opposite side of the room.

0000000

Dr. Ferran smiled as Ava approached. She'd only been with them a couple of weeks, but the improvement in patient care had been tremendous.

"I'm sorry to bother you, doctor. There's a young Stormtrooper in there with some pain in his scanner picked up a small metal object, but the design of it looked . . . . odd."

Dr. Ferran winced. He motioned her to come closer and spoke barely above a whisper. "It's the transponder."

"Transponder?"

"All the troops get them now. We had a defection a while back and it sent Captain Phasma into an absolute rage. She cannot abide any disloyalty. They tell the men that they are getting inoculated and then inject them with it. Occasionally, it'll travel a bit and rub up against a bit of bone or something, causing irritation."

"And they don't know?" she whispered back.

"No. It's on a strictly need to know basis. Very hush-hush. If it ever got out . . ." The doctor shuddered. "Since you're working here now, I should have told you. Just tell him that it's a localized reaction to his inoculation. They usually buy that."

"Will do. Thanks for the help."

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Ava returned to the Stormtrooper, a bright smile on her face. "Good news! I've consulted with the doctor and it's absolutely nothing to worry about."

"It isn't?"

"No . . . it's a completely normal reaction to the tracker that the First Order has embedded in all of its troops. They insert it right about there." She pointed to where the scan showed the transponder in the young man's wrist. "You can feel for it if you press down lightly, right there near the surface. Ask around to all of your friends. I'm sure that they've noticed the exact same thing. It'll keep working as intended as long as you don't try to remove it. If you did that . . . . well . . . then, the First Order wouldn't know your whereabouts at all. And wouldn't that be a pity?" She gave him a small pat on the back. "You take care, now."

Author's note- My life is unbelievably hectic at the moment, but if you still want to read this story, I'll keep writing it.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Living without the constant distraction of his datapad proved harder than Hux had anticipated. For the first few days, his mind would constantly wander back to his messages, wondering what news or urgent communiques he was missing while he ate his meals with his wife. She caught him wool-gathering a half dozen times and he promised each time that he would focus on their time together.

Before long, however, it seemed to get a bit more manageable to live without his data pad. He actually started to look forward to the enforced distraction-free time with her. He had even begun to make it a personal rule to put his data pad away before his evening meal with her and to not touch it again until after their morning meal the next day. He found that his sleep came easier at night and his nightmares were less frequent.

A week into Hux's attempt to disengage from his data pad, he arrived late to his quarters and was surprised to see his wife already in the kitchen, collecting dishes to set the table. He supposed it was natural to have her let herself in, but the intrusion made him clench his jaw a bit. His day had been predictably horrendous and he found himself more than a little irritated.

"You're late," Ava observed, her tone neutral.

"Yes . . . Well, I had a meeting that overran." He took off his overcoat and walked over to hang it in his closet. He deposited his gloves next to his coat and then returned to the kitchen. A shipment of root vegetables had been delivered to the officers on board and he was eager to try them roasted with a bit of dried herbs. Fresh food was a luxury aboard their vessel and he was determined to enjoy them.

"How was your day?"

Hux grimaced involuntarily as he began to peel the tough outer skin of the vegetables with a small knife. "It was fine."

"You're a horrible liar. What happened?"

Hux paused for a moment. Sharing details about the workings of the First Order with a civilian, even if it was his wife, seemed wrong. "It's nothing."

"Tell me." Her jaw was set and her tone brooked no disagreement.

Hux hesitated, but ultimately relented, setting down the knife. "There's a food shortage on Thaxton 15. The population is getting . . . restless." Which was a polite way of saying that the situation was about to spin completely out of control.

"So, you'll send food. It'll quiet things down and you'll come out of it looking like a hero."

Hux had no desire to be considered a hero. And more importantly, the resources to feed an entire planet would mean cutting costs in other areas or taking out more disastrous loans from disreputable money lenders. Neither option seemed palatable. So, Hux chose the ruthless approach once again and continued to peel the vegetables. "Hardly. They'll have to figure it out on their own. They got themselves into this mess. It's on them to get themselves out of it."

Ava rolled her eyes. "What's the use of being a part of the First Order if you let people starve to death? How is that bringing order to chaos? You're not following through with your main tenets."

"I hardly think that it's our responsibility . . ." Hux began.

"Yes, it is," she snapped, cutting him off. "Look, who's in charge there?"

Hux's lip curled in disgust. "General Selmur took over last year."

"You obviously don't like him. Why?"

"He's corrupt. I'm fairly sure that he is lining his own pockets, ten times over. I've never been able to definitely prove it . . ."

"Could he be diverting the food supplies and selling them privately? Letting people starve to make himself rich?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," Hux admitted. After everything he'd learnt about the inner workings of the First Order, it would hardly be the most egregious example of corruption that he'd heard of.

"What about Captain Phasma?"

"What about her?"

"Well, you've gone on and on about her effectiveness and dedication. She seems to be the only person that you trust. Relieve Selmur of his command. Letting his people go hungry is pretty good evidence of his incompetence, if not corruption. Send Phasma there and I bet she'll have everything sorted out within a week."

Hux blinked. It wasn't bad advice, however . . . "She's shoring up a vital outpost. If she leaves . . ."

"Better to lose an outpost than an entire planet."

He couldn't argue with that. He nodded and placed the peeled vegetables in a shallow pan and sprinkled them liberally with some oil. "I'll notify her straight away." He took a deep breath. "And Ava . . . You're wrong."

"About what?"

"Captain Phasma isn't the only person I trust."

"Oh, really?" she asked softly, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Yes . . . Lt. Ruchi is a trusted aide." He managed with a straight face as he sprinkled some herbs on the pan and popped it in the oven.

For a second, Ava looked stricken and then dissolved into a fit of giggles. "I can't believe the mighty General Hux actually told a joke."

Hux chuckled, trying to remember the last time he genuinely laughed. It felt better than he cared to admit.

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A few weeks later, Ava arrived late to lunch. She didn't greet him when she arrived. She had a shell-shocked, blank look on her face and tears stained her cheeks.

Instead of going to the kitchen, she walked towards the living area and settled on the far end of the couch. Perplexed, Hux followed and sat next to her. In the past, he chose an armchair, but he'd found in the past few weeks how much comfort he drew from being near her, even if they never so much as brushed fingertips. At the beginning, he used to sit on the opposite end of the couch, but, day by day, he found himself inching closer and closer to her.

"What's the matter?" Even when she was angry at him, she never deliberately ignored him like that.

"It doesn't matter."

"You've been crying. It's obvious that something is wrong."

"You don't care . . . look . . . it's . . . it's fine."

"Just tell me."

She took a deep breath. "There was an accident. They brought a young guard in. He couldn't have been more than 22, 23. He . . . he didn't make it. I did all that I could do. I've . . . I've never had a patient die before."

With that, she began to sob, and for the first time in decades, Hux felt something stir within him. Seeing his wife, distraught over the death of a man she didn't even know, awoken feelings Hux didn't even believe he possessed any more. Acting on pure instinct, he leaned over and embraced her tightly as she wept, her body wracked by sobs of grief.

He half-expected her to pull away, to rebuff and reject him, but she leaned into him, shaking and crying, wetting the front of his shirt, clinging on to him. He tried to remember the last time he had hugged someone. It must have been as a child, but he wasn't quite sure.

Before long, her weeping subsided and she looked up at him. "Thank you."

Reluctantly, he let go as she straightened up. "Yes . . . well . . . losing a fellow shipmate . . . it's hard."

"Have you ever cried over your crewmembers when they've passed?"

"No . . . . but I don't believe I've cried since I was a child."

"Why not?"

Hux bit his lower lip as the memories of his past swam before his eyes. "Showing such kinds of emotion was . . . strongly discouraged."

"Is it still?"

"Still what?"

"Still discouraged?" she asked.

"The First Order already has a temperamental brat who wails and screams at every setback and throws a tantrum at every inconvenience. They don't need a second one. They need firm, unwavering guidance."

"You really don't like Kylo, do you?"

"Do you blame me?"

She shook her head. "I suppose not." She brushed the tears out of the corner of her eye. "You know . . . . showing emotion doesn't make you weak. And pretending to be stoic doesn't make you strong."

"Pretending?"

"You feel everything. You think that no one notices . . . that everyone falls for that veneer of cold indifference, but it's just a facade. Deep down, you're just like the rest of us."

"And what makes you the expert on my emotions?"

She grinned at him. "I'm your wife."

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The next few weeks were, by far, the happiest of Hux's adult life. It was as if a wall had fallen between them, and the tentative beginnings of a true friendship was starting to be built. Ava's mood was sunny and optimistic and Hux slowly began to open up more and more about his daily life to her, sharing more and more of his plans and fears. While the First Order was crumbling all around him, Hux, for the first time, was able to divorce his future from the future of the First Order. The crushing weight and burden of responsibility began to feel lighter.

In his mind, he even began to secretly dream of different kind of life. It began with idle daydreams that grew more and more complex and intricate. He thought about returning to Ava's homeworld, now as their king. Given his ties to the royal family, before long he and Ava could be ruling the planet. Governing an entire world seemed like child's play after dealing with the unwieldy mess of the First Order. He would have a chance to begin again, free from the chaos and ruin that inevitably followed in the wake of the First Order.

He felt an entirely new emotion, one that was completely foreign to him.

He felt hope.

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It was nearly dinnertime and Hux was about to call it a day. The bridge seemed to be all in order and General Selmur was about to cover the night shift. Although Hux would have liked to have at least thrown the scoundrel into the brig for the disaster he caused on Thaxton 15, he found out that Selmur had powerful allies and Hux had to be satisfied with assigning him to the night crew aboard his ship where he could monitor Selmur's activities a bit more closely.

Just as Hux was about to leave, a communications officer waved him over. "Sir, there's a holo from Supreme Leader Ren coming through"

Hux sighed. "Patch him through to my quarters. I'll be there within five minutes." He'd learnt the hard way to never take a communique from Kylo in front of the other officers.

"Yes, sir."

Hux quickened his steps, not wanting to keep Kylo waiting. Four minutes later, he was greeted with the image of Kylo in the middle of his living area. He noted that the holo made him seem taller, giving him an additional foot or two in height. Kylo looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes and his hair looked unkempt. Hux smoothed back his impeccable hair and did his best to smile at the image. "Supreme Leader Ren. This is a welcome surprise."

"I heard that congratulations are in order." Kylo cocked his head to the side and gave him a vicious grin.

Hux gritted his teeth. Of course, someone had run off to tell Kylo what had happened. "Yes, well . . . it was part of the treaty."

"And why did I have to hear from an underling, months after the fact?"

"I didn't want to disturb you unless it was an 'actual emergency', as you instructed, Supreme Leader."

Kylo narrowed his eyes at that, but didn't rise to the bait. "We need more ships. More men. We are this close to finding the new Rebel base."

It was all Hux could do not to roll his eyes. He'd heard that several times before and all that ended up happening was the loss of ships and soldiers' lives. "We have no more ships. No more men. Even with this treaty, we are stretched incredibly thin. We've had to reduce patrols at nearly every outpost to a skeleton crew. If it were to get out how overextended we are, how vulnerable we are to attack, we risk losing everything."

"We? I am Supreme Leader and you will follow my commands. If I tell you to send more pilots and more ships, you'll send them."

"Can't you get it through your thick head? I don't have anything to send!" Hux shouted, losing his temper at Kylo's impossible demands.

All of sudden, his airway was cut off and he was lifted up by the Force, his boots barely touching the ground. He clawed at his neck uselessly and his vision began to fade.

"It seems as though you've forgotten your position once again, General Hux! It looks like I'll have to remind you."

With that, Kylo used the Force to launch Hux against a nearby wall and then everything went black as Hux's head hit the smooth tile with a sickening thud.

—-

Author's note- Thank you for your patience and your encouragement. Your uplifting reviews pushed me to continue this story even when I feel overwhelmed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Hux awoke to someone gently shaking him.

"Hux . . . Hux . . . come on, Red . . . don't do this to me."

"Red?" Hux wasn't quite sure how he felt about that nickname.

"You're okay!"

Hux opened his eyes to see Ava kneeling in front of him, smiling down at him. "Hardly . . . . but I'll survive." He tried to sit up, but his pounding headache intensified and he laid back down, his head supported by Ava's cloak.

"What happened to you?"

"Supreme Leader Ren wanted to speak with me via hologram. As usual, he got angry and pitched a fit like the petulant child that he is. He choked me and then threw me against the wall." Hux winced at the memory. He had been half-sure that Kylo was going to kill him.

Ava's lip curled. "I can't believe he did this to you," she declared, disgust flashing in her eyes. "What a monster! If I ever meet him . . . "

Hux's eyes went wide and he struggled to sit up once again. "No! You can't say anything. You can't cross him. He'd kill you in a heartbeat. His temper . . . You . . . you have to stay away from him. Promise me. Please . . . please promise me." He grabbed ahold of both of her shoulders, staring into her eyes.

She gave him a half-smile. "That almost sounds like you care about what happens to me."

He straightened a bit and dropped his hands, remembering himself. "Of course. If anything were to happen to you, the treaty would be nullified."

"The treaty . . . yes, the treaty." She smiled even wider. "Well, I'll make sure to steer clear of him."

"See that you do," Hux replied in an officious tone.

"Well, let's go down to sickbay. Get you checked out. See if we can heal that cut." She waved to the back of his head, sticky with blood.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I . . . I can't let others know that he does this to me. It's bad enough when it's done in front of them. It undermines my authority. It makes me seem weak."

"You're not weak."

"I wish . . ."

"What?"

 _I wish we were far away from here. Far away from all of this. Far away from the clutches of that spoiled brat. Far away from the First Order._ But he couldn't say it aloud. He could barely admit it, even to himself. After a moment, he shook his head. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Are you sure that you don't want to go to sickbay?"

"Definitely."

"Well then, it looks like I get to stay the night."

"I beg pardon?" Hux's eyes went wide at the implication. It's not like he hadn't thought of it, more than once, if he were to be honest, but he was hardly in any shape to begin to engage in that particular facet of their marriage.

She gave a short bark of laughter. "Not like that. You probably have a concussion. I have to wake you every three or four hours to make sure that you're alright, that you haven't slipped into a coma. It's standard procedure."

"No."

"What?"

"No. You are not staying the night. All I need is a bit of rest. I don't need someone hovering over me all night. I'm not an invalid or some whimpering child," he scoffed.

"You've been injured. You need medical care. If you won't go to the sickbay, the least you can do is allow me to watch over you."

"Absolutely not. I'm fine. This isn't the first time that this has happened to me." _It probably won't be the last_ , he thought darkly.

"You are not fine. Look, here are your choices. You either let me take care of you tonight or I'll inform General Selmur that you are medically unfit for duty and have you forcibly taken to sickbay."

Hux's eyes narrowed at that, imagining the utter humiliation that would follow. "You wouldn't dare."

"You are obviously not thinking clearly. It's the truth." The look of determination on her face was formidable to say the least.

Hux stared at her for a long moment and finally nodded. "Fine. You can stay."

"Can you get up?"

Hux nodded and gingerly stood up. His head swam with dizziness and Ava was right there, holding onto his arm as she guided him to his bedroom. He hated relying on her, but he felt nauseated and his head began to pound all the more fiercely.

She helped him out of his overcoat and gloves. He sat heavily on the bed, more tired than he realized. She quickly inspected his eyes and the cut on the back of his head and tutted under her breath.

"At least your pupils aren't dilated. That's a blessing." She bit her lower lip. "I'll be back in a moment. I've got some basic medical supplies in my quarters. We have to dress that wound. I know you. You wouldn't want blood all over your pillowcase."

She returned shortly with some gauze and antiseptic wipes. She knelt down on the bed beside him and examined the cut once again. Hux hissed softly as she cleaned the wound, but tried not to move too much. It was more than a little distracting to have her so close, the sweet spicy scent of her perfume, the warmth of her pressed against him. His mind wandered to more pleasant thoughts of him and her together, of one day in the future finally getting to enjoy their wedding night.

Within a few moments, she had bandaged the wound and stood up, giving him a small smile. She handed him a few pills and a small glass of water. "It's for your headache."

Hux blinked, jolted out of his reverie. "I never said I had a headache."

Her smile grew bigger. "See. I really am a good doctor."

He began to object, but his head began to throb a bit more. So, he quickly swallowed the pills along with a bit of water.

She took the glass from his hands and put it on a nearby night table. Then, she knelt down in front of him and began to unzip his boots.

He looked down at her and a memory came to him, of a sweet nursemaid helping him with his shoes as a young child. She had been kind and soft and loving and those few months that she had cared for him had been the happiest of his childhood. It wasn't long before his father had fired her and sent her away for "coddling the boy too much".

Hux shook his head, pulling his foot away. "Stop it," he snapped. "There's no need to fuss. I can do that."

Ava immediately stopped, balling her hands into fists. She stood up and clenched her jaw. "Why don't you ever want to let anyone take care of you?"

 _Because I can't rely on something that can be taken away._ "I'm hardly in the mood for conversation."

She blew out a breath in frustration. "Fine. You should rest."

He took off his boots as quickly as he could and got into bed. Ava walked out of the room without another word. He did his best to stay awake, but sleep took him before he knew it.

The nightmares came fast and thick. Some were of his childhood, hellish and raw, and some were of the future, of Kylo using the Force to rip him limb from limb in a fit of rage. They were incredibly detailed and felt so real that Hux could hardly breathe.

And every time, Ava was there, softly calling to him, pulling him out of his dream, waking him up.

Saving him.

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"You've been having nightmares all night," she observed the next morning as she woke him up for breakfast.

Hux shrugged as he looked over at the time. He'd slept longer than he had in five years, yet he still was exhausted. "Must be because I hit my head."

"How do you feel?"

"Much better." His headache had subsided a bit and his stomach had settled.

"You really should take the day off."

Hux's eyes narrowed as he sat up. "I allowed your foolishness last night, but don't think for a moment that I'll indulge it today."

"The First Order won't fall apart if you rest for a day."

 _You have no idea how close it is to toppling over. All it would need is the slightest puff of wind and it will all fall down._ "Nevertheless, I will report to duty today," he said more sharply than he intended as he got out of bed.

Ava shrugged. "Okay. I'm beyond tired of arguing with you. I've got a ton of work myself. From patients who actually want my help."

"Good. See to it." Hux peered into his closet and tried to decide what he was going to wear for the day.

She waved over to a small table at the far end of the bedroom where there was a small bottle. "Take two of those pills every four hours for your headache. If your symptoms get worse, I'll be in the sickbay."

"I'll be fine," he said dismissively.

"I hope so," she said. "I'll see you at midday."

Hux poked his head out of his closet to say goodbye, but she was already gone.

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K'reh surveyed the sickbay, trying to catch the attention of one of med-droids to finish up the needed paperwork. He and his friend needed to be officially signed out of sickbay before they could return back to duty. Once he tried to leave sickbay without authorization and got stuck on night duty for a month for "disobeying medical protocols".

"You know why she's always hanging around here, right?" Lolin elbowed his buddy in the ribs, waving at the lovely doctor across the room

"Boredom, I suppose," K'reh replied, adjusting his bandage as he leaned against the wall. He and Lolin had been stuck in sickbay for hours and he was itching to be released. They had gotten into a short brawl with half a dozen of General Selmur's men and were lucky to have ended up with only a few cuts and bruises. A few weeks ago, he'd heard that someone had been pushed into an open air shaft during one of the fights, although the men involved did their best to cover the death up as a work accident.

"Come on. One woman. A sea of lonely men. You do the math." Lolin gave him a knowing look as he motioned once again towards her with an obscene gesture.

"But I thought her and General Hux . . ."

Lolin gave a short bark of a laugh and shook his head. "My friend does maintenance on the level where the officers live. They've got separate quarters."

"Really?" K'reh looked over at the shapely doctor with renewed interest. He'd basically ignored her while she'd attended him, almost completely focused on what revenge he could mete out on General Selmur's men. However, this information had put her into an entirely new light.

"Imagine getting a crack at that."

"If she's so desperate for male attention, why aren't you going after her?"

"Not everyone's got your pretty boy looks. And if Malhin ever found out I was stepping out on her . . ." The man shuddered. "There are some things best left in the realm of imagination."

K'reh looked over at her as a rather elaborate fantasy began to take shape in his brain. "And some things are best made into reality."

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K'reh waited for the better part of an hour to seize his opportunity. He saw Ava heading towards the elevator and jogged towards it, slipping in right before the doors shut. He faced her and gave her one of his trademark dazzling grins.

"The men really appreciate all that you do. Coming here every day, helping out." Kreh's eyes roamed her figure and he grinned to himself, already imagining how much he was going to enjoy himself once he'd worn down her defenses.

She gave him a wary look. "I'm just trying to do my part."

He took a step forward, cutting the distance between them in half. "You're so far from home. It's your first time off world, right? I am sure that you must get very, very lonely."

"I assure you that I am quite busy. I don't have time to be lonely. Thank you very much," she said curtly.

He placed a hand on her hip, forcefully drawing her close to him. "I could make those long nights so much more pleasant for you."

She stepped back, her back hitting the elevator wall. "I think you forget, sir. I am a married woman."

K'reh placed his other hand on the wall next to her face, boxing her in, leaning over her, only a few inches away. "You don't even sleep in the same room with your husband. You're not that married," he scoffed. "I'm sure that you've already grown tired of that pasty-faced little tyrant."

Her countenance changed and she gave him a dazzling smile. "What's your name?"

"K'reh."

"Your full name."

He furrowed his brow. "K'reh Ataledge."

"Good. Now," she looked at his shoulder for his rank, "Lt. Ataledge, if I ever see you again . . . If you ever come within 100 feet of me, I'll tell my husband your exact opinion of him. And we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

He immediately let go of her and took a few hasty steps back, his face turning pale, visions of a laser blast to his gut swimming in front his eyes. "No . . . no, ma'am."

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other." The elevator doors opened and she quickly scurried off of the elevator.

K'reh stared at her back as she left the elevator, his fear melting into cold anger. No woman had ever talked to him that way before. _Who does she think she is? Acting like she's better than me. I'll show her._

He'd find a way to make that wench pay.

* * *

 **Author's Note** \- As always, thank you for every single comment. Your enthusiasm has kept me motivated despite an overwhelmingly busy schedule. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!


	11. Chapter 11

**Ch. 11**

The last hour before the mid-day meal was sheer agony for Hux. Before breakfast, he'd taken the pills for his headache that Ava had left him, but they wore off at precisely the four hour mark, leaving him wincing from the pain. He could have returned to his quarters to get his next dose, but he persisted, not wanting to leave his post early.

At the appointed time, he left, nearly running to his quarters, angry at himself for not bringing the pills with him. He tore into his bedroom, his hands nearly shaking and he took out the pills and choked them down without water. They worked almost instantly and the fire in his head quieted to a low smolder.

Ava showed up a few minutes later and Hux was glad he'd had a chance to take his pills before she arrived. "How are you doing?"

"Good. Better." Hux refused to admit how bad it had gotten.

"That's good," she said absent-mindedly, her hands shaking a bit.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," she replied automatically. "No."

"Which is it?" He noticed that she she was wringing her hands together and frowning.

"I had a . . . difficult patient."

"How difficult?" he snarled. "Who was it?"

"It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She gave him a half-smile. "I heard some of the troops talking about an upcoming shore leave?"

"Yes." Hux didn't miss the deliberate change in subject, but he let the matter drop. "We'll be visiting the main planet in the Edrov system. There's a base there that I want to inspect." One of the more recalcitrant generals was stationed there and Hux felt the need to visit personally and remind him of the price of disobedience to the First Order.

"I was wondering . . . Could I go? Only, I know that the capital city has a wonderful open-air market and I'd really like to visit it."

"What exactly is it that you are lacking that you feel the need to visit a filthy outdoor market teeming with the unwashed masses?" Hux sniffed.

"I need to get off this ship."

"Why?"

"Because I've been here for months. I need to feel the sun on my face, the wind in my hair. I need to breathe air that hasn't been recycled a million times. I need to see green trees. I need to see people who don't work for the First Order."

"You knew what you were signing up for. I spend nearly all my time onboard this vessel."

"I know. I do. But . . ."

"Fine. We'll go to the market."

"We?"

"Unless you have some reason why you have to be alone?"

"No. No. It's fine. It'll be fun. You'll see."

"Yes, I'm sure it will be," Hux replied, completely unconvinced.

0000000

It was not fun.

It was unbearably hot. Hux was sweltering in his dress uniform and had even taken off his gloves in an attempt to cool down a bit.

It was dirty. His once shiny boots were caked in a fine layer of dust and what he desperately hoped was only mud.

It was teeming with stinking hordes of people from all over the galaxy, pushing, shoving, and jostling one another to buy overpriced trinkets that nobody actually needed.

Despite all that, Hux tried his best to keep his displeasure to himself.

Because Ava, on the other hand, was having the time of her life. She went from stall to stall, marveling over each new bauble, like she'd never seen jewelry before. She complimented each artist who proudly displayed their work. She must have tried at least a half-dozen types of foods, from some sort of small reptile that had been roasted on a spit with its head still attached to some sweet cream pastries stuffed with green berries. She tried to convince him to try some, but he demurred, sure that one bite of the street vendor food would leave him retching for days.

"C'mon," she said with a smile, taking his hand and half-pulling him along towards a stall full of colorful dresses.

He looked down, his hand in hers, and couldn't help but smile a little.

"I want to try one on. May I?" Ava asked the merchant, a small woman with white hair piled on top of her head in a bun.

"It would be my pleasure, my dear. Might I suggest the red one? It would look wonderful with your dark hair and it should fit you just right."

Ava picked up the folded dress that was on a low bench and followed the old woman into a makeshift changing area cobbled together from hanging bolts of intricately designed fabric.

Hux massaged the bridge of his nose as he waited for Ava to change. He still had a bit of time before his meeting with General Callat, but his head was beginning to throb from the noise and the heat.

"How do I look?" Ava asked as she emerged and twirled around slowly in her dress.

The dress was a crimson red with a plunging V-neck. It skimmed her body, highlighting and celebrating every curve and had a slit on either side up to her mid-thigh.

Hux had wanted her since the first moment he saw her, but never so intensely as at that moment. In fact, if they had been alone . . . . Hux swallowed hard. "We're buying that dress."

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely," he nearly growled.

"When would I even wear it?"

"We'll find an occasion," he managed.

"Alright. Let me get changed." She gave him a brilliant smile and returned to the changing area.

"So, you're definitely buying that dress," the merchant said smoothly with a twinkle in her eye.

They haggled back and forth for a few moments, not that Hux really minded. Normally, he would have done his level best to get the lowest price, but the vision of his wife in that dress clouded his mind.

As soon as they had arrived at a price, his communicator sounded. He grimaced as he looked at who was trying to contact him. General Callat's office.

"Is anything the matter?" Ava asked as she emerged from the changing area.

"I have to take this. Here," he said as he pressed the money into her hand. "Pay the woman for the dress while I finish this call." He turned away and walked a few steps away to get some privacy.

"General Hux?" The voice sounded faint.

"Yes," Hux snapped, irritated that his day had been interrupted.

"I'm Captain Perest. General Callat asked me to call you to see if he could reschedule your meeting for an hour earlier. There's a trade delegation that has changed their arrival time."

Hux grimaced and thought for a few long moments. As much as he disliked wandering the bazaar with Ava, the idea of cutting it short when she was enjoying herself so much seemed cruel.

On the other hand, the sooner he finished his meeting with Callat, the sooner he could get back to his cool, quiet, clean ship and take a long shower, washing the filth of the market off of him.

"Fine," he snapped and hung up immediately.

He turned back around to see the merchant holding the dress and his wife nowhere in sight. "Where's my wife?"

The woman waved down to the end of the aisle of the stalls. Ava had her back to him and looked like she was berating a Stormtrooper who was holding a small boy by the scruff of his neck.

Hux strode towards them in a near run. General Callat's men were notoriously trigger-happy and he could easily see this confrontation turning deadly.

"Ava," he called as he drew near.

She turned to him and then back to the Stormtrooper. She waved over to Hux. "See, I told you that I was General Hux's wife. Now, take that ridiculous helmet off. I'm not talking to you like that."

The Stormtrooper looked over at Hux, who nodded his assent. Taking his helmet off while on patrol was against protocol, but Hux couldn't see anything wrong with it.

The soldier took off his helmet and even Hux was a bit surprised. The man was young, barely out of his teens, with a smooth face and weak chin. Without his helmet, he looked nervous and scanned the crowd anxiously.

"How old are you?" Ava asked.

"I hardly think . . . ."

"Answer her," Hux snapped. The sooner they finished, the better.

"Nineteen . . al . . . almost twenty." The young man jutted out his chin.

Ava shook her head. "And why are you manhandling that boy?"

"He stole some fruit. I was escorting him to the detention center."

The little boy looked up pleadingly at Ava. "My family is starving. I was just . . ."

"Shut up, you scum!" The Stormtrooper raised his hand to strike the boy.

Lightening quick, Ava jumped between them, causing the Stormtrooper to stay his hand. She stared him down. "If you raise your hand against him again, I'll have you thrown into the brig for the rest of your natural life, do you understand?" Her tone was low and deadly.

The Stormtrooper glanced over to Hux, who nodded his agreement.

Ava turned to the boy, kneeling a bit to speak face to face. "Where are your parents?"

"We live in the next village over. The taxes are so high now with the First Order that they barely have enough food to survive."

Ava turned back to the Stormtrooper, hands on her hips. "Is it your custom to starve people?"

"I'm not the one who imposes the taxes."

"And who does?"

"General Callat . . . ma'am."

Hux motioned Ava over to him. As she approached, he bent down and whispered in her ear. "I've a meeting with him later on today to discuss his handling of the finances in this system. It seems as though he may be pocketing some of the excess funds."

"Another general misappropriating funds?" she whispered back.

Hux shrugged. It was the norm, not the exception in the First Order.

Ava walked back over to the young boy and removed the Stormtrooper's hand from the back of his shirt collar. "You can go home now."

"Ma'am . . ." the Stormtrooper began.

"He can go home now," she said firmly.

When the Stormtrooper looked over at him again, Hux reluctantly nodded. He'd learnt not to interfere when she had that tone of voice.

The Stormtrooper let go of the boy and he shot off like a dart. In mere seconds, he melted into the crowd and disappeared from view.

"What's your name?" Ava asked the Stormtrooper.

"FN-9402, ma'am."

"Well, FN-9402, you will keep your hands off of children in the future, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied softly. "May I please put my helmet back on now?"

"Yes . . . good-bye."

Hux took Ava's hand as the Stormtrooper shuffled off dejectedly. "Let's go back. Get you that dress. Forget about all of this . . . . unpleasantness."

She gave him a brilliant smile. "We can't."

"Why not?"

"I slipped the boy the money. He needed food more than I needed a dress."

Hux looked at her for a long moment, surprised by her actions, although her baffling capacity for kindness shouldn't have shocked him after months of knowing her. "It would most likely have been kinder to let the boy go to the detention center."

"Why?"

"It's obvious that his parents cannot provide for him. The First Order would take care of him."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, he'd start a training program. Learn discipline. It would be good for him."

"A training program?" She gasped. "To become . . . . a Stormtrooper?"

"Well, of course. One doesn't get such highly trained individuals overnight."

"How young?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how young do you take these children away from their parents and train them to be Stormtroopers?"

"Well . . . they're not much good before they're four . . . but we can make exceptions." There had been a brief program instituted on a few planets to take children immediately after birth, but it had been costly and the high mortality rate had made it unfeasible.

Ava pulled her hand away from his. "Four year old children . . . . How . . . how long has this been going on?"

"The last twenty years or so. I oversaw the first group of them. Some orphans from Jakku. I was but a boy myself, but our leader saw that I had potential." He puffed out his chest as he remembered being entrusted with the responsibility of molding and shaping the young soldiers, even though some of them were older than himself at the time.

"You've been training child soldiers for over two decades?"

"Of course."

"That's . . . that's . . .," she sputtered.

"Ingenious." Hux puffed out his chest, proud of his training program and its superior results.

"It's obscene."

Hux furrowed his brow at the insult. "Obscene? What's obscene is to let them starve on the streets because their parents are addicted to some drug or so far in debt that they can never hope to provide for their children."

"So the only alternative is to use them as cannon fodder?"

Hux shook his head. "Hardly. My training simulations are state of the art. My soldiers are the most skilled in the galaxy."

"Well, it explains everything."

"What does that mean?"

"I've been treating the Stormtroopers on board our ship for months. Your soldiers lack basic empathy and compassion. But that's to be expected. You've drilled it out of them since they were little. Ripped them away from their foundational family structures. Ground them down and then built them up into . . . ."

"Into what?"

"A generation of sociopaths. Incapable of connecting meaningfully with other people."

"You're being dramatic."

"And you're being short-sighted. You've created an army of damaged individuals." She gave a snort of laughter. "I bet your organization is rife with lying and corruption, isn't it? It's not just a few generals here and there. It's everywhere. I bet there's fighting and other antisocial behavior as well, isn't there?"

"Wha . . . . How did you . . . ?"

"You cannot destroy the basic moral and social fabric of these children's lives and expect them to grow up to become whole individuals. The damage that you inflict on them creates waves and ripples that spread out throughout their whole lives."

"I won't have you questioning my methods."

"Your methods have sown the seeds of your own destruction. It's only a matter of time."

Hux opened his mouth to rebut what she said, but closed it abruptly. She was right. Not that he could ever admit it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself and reign in his raging emotions, irrationally angry at her criticism. "It seems as though we must agree to disagree on this matter. Given how dangerous this city seems to be, I'll go ahead and escort you back to the shuttle so that you can return immediately to the ship and then I'll proceed on to my meeting with General Callat."

"Back to the ship?" She sounded crestfallen.

"Yes. I do believe that's for the best," he replied tightly. His hands were shaking in anger and he clenched them into fists. "Shall we?" It was a command, not a request.

She looked for a moment like she was about to argue with him, but instead she nodded her assent.

Hux hated the feeling that the entire day had been spoilt, but he could hardly think straight. Once he'd deposited Ava at the shuttle and watched it make its way back the ship, he began to calm down. He made a mental note to go back to the stall and get that dress for her. It wouldn't smooth things over completely, but it was a start.

He grimaced. Now it was time to have a little discussion with General Callat on how he was running his planet.

_  
Author's Note\- The backstory of Hux, his dad, and the child soldiers of Jakku can be found in Aftermath: Empire's End, a canon Star Wars novel.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

He was going to die. He was sure of it.

It had all started harmlessly enough. The day after returning to the ship, Hux felt a bit tired and achy. He chalked it up to the hours walking through the bazaar, not to mention the hours reprimanding General Callet for his negligent management of the planet entrusted to him.

The next day, he felt unreasonably warm, his pale skin flushed. He winced when he remembered that Ava had pushed him to put on some sort of lotion to protect his skin against the harsh sun. Usually sunburns showed up hours after exposure, not days, but perhaps it was some sort of unusual reaction to some variant of ultraviolet radiation. Ava tried to examine him, but he brushed her off. Things had been unbelievably tense between them, and Hux had been peevish and short with her at every meal. He had given her the red dress that he had gone back to the market to purchase and she had accepted it woodenly, without any enthusiasm.

The third morning after visiting the planet, Hux couldn't lift his head off of his pillow. His throat was dry and sore and he could barely swallow. His entire body was covered in reddish spots and his head ached so badly that he could hardly think. He felt like he was on fire and icy cold all at the same time.

He lay there for a good hour before Ava found him, wandering into his bedroom when he didn't come to the kitchen. He blinked as she turned a lamp on, the bright light intensifying the agony of his pounding head. It felt as though an iron nail was slowly being driven into his skull.

"Oh, Hux . . . you've got it, too."

"Got what?" He could barely whisper.

"It's Andovian fever."

"Why does that sound familiar?" he croaked.

"Doctor Ferran asked you to vaccinate the troops against it. You declined."

Hux gave a snort of laughter. "A bit short-sighted of me, it turns out."

"I got called in early this morning to help out in sickbay. Turns out that General Callat failed to warn us that there was a massive outbreak of it in the Edrov system. About 5% of the ship is already down with it. It's . . . . it's spreading rapidly."

"Any fatalities?"

"Not yet." She hesitated. "But they will come."

"Is it contagious?"

"Very."

Hux's eyes widened. "You should leave. Don't touch me. Get away from me. Don't go back to the sickbay. Quarantine yourself from the others until it's wiped out. That's an order."

"I appreciate your concern for my safety, but I'm one of only two doctors on board. The med-droids won't be enough. If I don't help your troops, they'll start dying in droves."

"I don't care about them," he managed through gritted teeth.

"But you care about me?"

Hux didn't respond.

She gave him a small smile. "Well, it's alright. You don't have to worry about me. I was vaccinated against Andovian fever as a child. We take those things seriously on my planet."

"Oh . . . thank goodness," Hux said as he let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

0000000

The next few days Hux drifted in and out of consciousness. Ava checked on him several times a day, whenever she could get away from the sickbay. She examined him, monitored his progress, and gave him the medicine that aided in his slow recovery.

One morning, he woke up and realized that he was in bed with only his trousers on and Ava was at his side, checking his vitals. He shouldn't have felt uncomfortable, sitting there shirtless in front of his own wife, but he squirmed nonetheless under her intent gaze.

He was hardly an innocent. While he had never been in any relationship that was even remotely romantic, he had, on a few occasions, indulged himself by visiting a few high-end brothels that catered to elite clientele while on shore leave. They were soulless encounters, fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying, leaving him feeling empty and more restless than before.

He pulled the covers up to his neck, feeling uncomfortably exposed, unused to any kind of true intimacy.

"My shirt?" Hux asked.

"You were burning up. I needed to cool you down a bit." She placed a soothing hand on his forehead. "Your fever's still too high. You need to get better soon. General Selmur has taken over command and he's being unbearable."

Hux shuddered. If ever there was an incentive to get well, having Selmur at the helm was a strong one.

Ava handed him a small glass of water and some pills to take. "In your sleep . . . you called out. Something about your father."

"Then, it must have been a nightmare." He swallowed the pills, grateful that the headache was beginning to subside a bit.

"A nightmare?"

Hux thought for a moment, then forged ahead. "My . . . father was an unbelievably cruel man. The things he said to me . . . The things he did to me." He shuddered as the memories overcame him, threatening to drown him. "He tried to be careful to not leave any marks." He swallowed hard. "It's amazing what you can do to a child without even leaving so much as a bruise behind."

"Oh, Hux . . . ."

"When I grew older, I arranged for Phasma to . . . eliminate him. It was so freeing to have him gone. It should have made me happy." Hux shook his head. "But he never really left. He still lives up here." He motioned to his temples. "Every decision I make, every action I take . . . I trace back to him . . . To a misguided attempt to prove my worth to a dead man."

"You had your father killed?"

Hux nodded. "The only thing Kylo and I have in common." He let out a dark laugh. "Except I suspect that his father wasn't quite the monster he made him out to be. That whole business was more about Snoke manipulating him once again more than anything else. I'm sure of it."

"You don't have to prove your worth to your father. Dead or alive."

"Spoken like someone who grew up coddled."

"I was loved. There's a difference."

Hux wasn't ready to hear about her loving childhood and decided to change the subject. "Why do you do it? Help out at the sick bay? Deal with the sick and injured all day long? Why do you waste your time?"

"Every person matters. Every single person. I show compassion to them, because they need it. They have no home; they have no family."

"The First Order is their family."

"Even you don't believe that," she scoffed.

"The First Order has given me everything. Without it, I would be nothing."

"That's not true."

"It is. Compassion. Kindness . . . love." He made the last one sound like a curse. "Those are just other words for weakness. Something to be exploited by others. The First Order only knows strength and determination and power."

"No. You're wrong. That's your father talking. Kindness . . . . Empathy . . . they are our greatest strengths. People will do far more out of love and loyalty than out of fear and hatred."

"It's talk like that will make people think you're a Rebel sympathizer."

She shrugged. "I'm on your side. You know that, right? That's all that really matters."

"That's not enough. As my wife, you must demonstrate your loyalty to the First Order."

"Why?"

"Do you have any idea what happens to Rebel sympathizers aboard a First Order ship? They'd tear you apart." Hux shuddered slightly at the thought of it.

"So, you care what happens to me. That sounds an awful lot like compassion to me."

Hux wrinkled his nose. "Hardly. It's for my own benefit. Your behavior reflects on me."

"Admit it. You like me. It's alright, you know. You are allowed to like your own wife. I like you, too." She shrugged. "Most of the time. When you're not spouting off First Order propaganda points."

"Why would you ever like me?" Hux was genuinely perplexed.

"I can't be the only person in your life who likes you. What about Phasma?"

Hux shrugged. He doubted that Phasma actually cared whether he lived or died. Her sole focus was her own survival. And, while he valued her loyalty and effectiveness, that was the extent of it.

"Ruchi?" She asked.

He shook his head. Ruchi craved power and influence. He found it working as Hux's aide. But, he'd abandon or betray Hux in a heartbeat the second it became politically expedient.

"So, you don't have a single friend in the entire universe?"

He shook his head again, uncomfortable about where the conversation was going.

"Well, you've got me." She cocked her head to the side. "Funny, how it turned out."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Ren was supposed to sign the treaty, wasn't he? I would have ended up as his wife."

Hux felt his blood run cold and it had nothing to do with his illness.

Hux was horrified by the thought that she could have been married to Kylo instead of him. Kylo wasn't a patient man; Hux was sure he would have bedded her that first night. The thought of Kylo and Ava as husband and wife, of the image of the two of them entwined together, sparked a white hot flame of jealousy in him, an emotion he was surprised he possessed anymore. Envy, he knew. He'd spent his entire life being envious of the power that others possessed, letting the greed for it consume his being.

But jealousy, well . . . that was entirely new.

"You're mine," he growled, bunching the sheets up with his fingers.

"So, does that mean that you'll admit that you like me?"

"I find you . . . tolerable . . . occasionally." He forced himself to let go of the sheets and smoothe out his bed linens.

She gave him a genuine grin. "I'll take that as a yes. . . . I need to go. They need me back at sickbay. You're not my only patient . . . But you are my favorite one."

Hux couldn't reply and as she left, he realized he liked her rather more than he cared to admit.

00000000

It was well past dinnertime and Hux decided to give up hope that Ava was going to arrive any time soon. After weeks in bed, he'd finally gotten well enough to take over his duties, banishing General Selmur once again to night duty. Selmur had protested the reassignment to nights, but Hux ignored his objections. He'd been hearing rumors that Selmur had been pressuring some of the female officers on board into some rather compromising positions and Hux was just done with the man and his disreputable actions. He had made up his mind that Selmur would find himself on the wrong side of an airlock before the week was up even though Selmur's political connections made it a risky move. Hux was sure that Ruchi would help him in his mission. That obsequious little toad would do anything to get into his good graces.

Hux looked at the time once again and suppressed a sigh. He supposed it was fine that she was running so late. They were still stamping out the last vestiges of the Andovian fever around the ship and both Ava and Dr. Ferran had been stretched thin. He was going just go ahead and start his dinner without her. She'd been complaining about being overwhelmed and he understood if she lost track of time.

Once he'd finished eating and the dishes had been washed and the leftover food stored away, there was a chime and a breathless voice came over the intercom. "General Hux, you're needed down at sickbay immediately."

"Dr. Ferran, what's happened?"

And with five words, Hux's world fell apart.

"It's Ava . . . she's been poisoned."

* * *

 **Author's Note** \- You know it's a slow burn when it takes 12 chapters to even admit that they like each other. Thanks to Shadows of Shemai for the airlock idea.

I hope that all of you have been enjoying the story. I've been incredibly busy, but if you are still interested, I'll still dedicate time to write it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Ch. 13**

 **Trigger warning-Mention of suicide**

Hux barrelled down the hallways of the ship at full speed on his way to sick bay, careening around corners, and nearly falling in the process. His legs burned from the effort and he made it there in record time. He burst into sick bay, succumbing to a coughing fit that almost caused him to collapse. He waved off the med-droid that approached him and then made his way over to Dr. Ferran.

Ava was on a sick bay bed, tubes and wires coming out of her. Machines were helping her breathe, were keeping her heart pumping. She looked tiny and fragile.

"What happened?" Hux did his best not to shout at Dr. Ferran, but he never felt so afraid before in his life.

"She got a transmission while here in the sick bay. She became very, very agitated when she reviewed it. I tried to talk to her after her shift, but she wouldn't say what was bothering her. Then, I asked her something about dinner and she said that she couldn't go to your quarters to eat, but she didn't have any food in her chambers. One of the Stormtroopers who had just gotten discharged had suggested the mess hall, that they were having some sort of special stew and she left with him." Dr. Ferran took a deep breath. "According to the witnesses at the scene, she seemed incredibly upset. She started eating her stew and then . . ."

"Then, what?"

"She collapsed. They brought her here."

"And you're sure it's poison?" Hux's mind began to race, trying to figure exactly which of his many enemies would stoop so low as to target his wife. It was disturbing to realize that the number was quite high.

"Yes, I had the rest of the food brought to test it."

"What's her prognosis?"

Dr. Ferran sighed. "At the moment . . . . it isn't good."

"What do you mean?"

"Her organs are shutting down. Unless we find out what it is . . . ."

Hux gripped the doctor's upper arm. "You have the full resources of the First Order at your command. There is no line I will not cross to protect her. I hope I'm being absolutely clear. Do anything, and I do mean anything, to keep her alive."

"I will."

0000000

Hours turned into days. Hux neither slept nor ate. He sat in a straight back chair next to Ava's bed, hunched over, his face in his hands, staring at her still form and the machines that were keeping her alive.

Dr. Ferran approached him gingerly one afternoon after Hux had waved away one of the med-droids trying to offer him a meal. "General Hux, you really should go to your chambers and rest some. We'll notify you if there's any change in her condition."

Hux shook his head, his jaw set. "I have to be here. When she wakes up. I can't let her be alone. When I was sick, she took care of me. When I was hurt . . . I . . . . I can't leave her when she needs me. What she's done for me, no one else in the the universe would ever do that for me. She's my only friend." He winced at the word. It didn't accurately sum up all that she was to him. Not by a longshot. She was so much more than merely a friend.

"If you won't go back to your chambers, please, at least rest here in the sick bay. We'll make up the bed next to hers."

"I can't."

Dr. Ferran's tone became firm. "General Hux, you're still recovering from Andovian fever. Your body needs rest. If you keep pushing yourself, you'll have a relapse and then you really won't be there for her."

Hux thought for a moment. Him collapsing in the middle of sick bay would do Ava no good. "Alright. Thank you."

00000000

After nearly a week of staying in sick bay, Lt. Ruchi arrived, with an insincere smile and a datapad to show him. "General Hux, might I enquire as to how your wife is doing?"

"They've stabilized her . . . but she isn't showing any improvement."

"That really is a pity," Ruchi said perfunctorily before launching into the real reason for his visit. "Sir, there are some other pressing matters that we must discuss."

Ruchi and the affairs of the First Order were the last things that Hux wanted to deal with. "No, there aren't. She is the only pressing matter, do you understand that? Everything comes second to her recovery. If you need to consult with anyone, talk to General Selmur. He's taking over my duties for the interim. I need to be here for her."

Ruchi nodded his head in agreement. "I understand, sir. If anything were to happen to her, the treaty would be null and void. And then, Supreme Leader Ren would most likely strip you of your position. It's in your best interest to keep her alive."

"The treaty?" Hux shook his head. "I couldn't possibly care less about the treaty or my position. I only care about her."

"I see," Ruchi said tightly. "Well, then, I suppose that I'll take my concerns to General Selmur."

"See that you do," Hux replied, more harshly than he intended to.

000000

A few days later, Dr. Ferran approached him late in the evening, looking like he had aged nearly ten years in the last week. "General Hux, I have some good news. I had a hunch about the poison that was administered to your wife and I ran a few tests. The results are finally in. Now that we know what it was, I'm hopeful that we can start to reverse at least some of the damage done."

"Oh, thank goodness." There was something about Dr. Ferran's demeanor that unnerved Hux. "And?"

"The poison. It's draya root. It is usually prescribed in very small doses to those with heart problems. It causes incredible damage at high doses. It's nearly impossible to detect, unless you specifically test for it."

"Draya root? I'm sure I've heard of it before."

Doctor Ferran swallowed hard. "It's a major export from Thaxton 15."

"General Selmur!" Hux cursed under his breath, raw anger filling his veins.

"I was granted access to his First Order medical records when he came aboard. He was prescribed draya root last year."

"Thank you. I'll deal with this." Ruchi had been right. With Ava's death, the treaty would be dissolved. Such a failure would most likely cause his own demotion, not to mention installing Selmur as the ranking officer. Selmur must have figured out that Hux had reached the end of his patience and was plotting Selmur's demise, so Selmur decided to strike first. "I'll make him pay."

"I hope that you do," the doctor said viciously.

00000000

Hux made his way to the helm of the ship as quickly as he could, rage fueling each step. The fact that Selmur had been cowardly enough to strike out at Ava only further angered him. It confirmed every suspicion he had about that loathsome man and the morals of the First Order elites.

Selmur wasn't on duty, having already given his command over to the night-time watch. Hux strode over to the communications center. "Open a communications line to security," he growled at the communications officer.

The officer's eyes opened wide at that, but she quickly nodded. "You have an open line, General Hux."

"This is General Hux. General Selmur has committed treason. He should be in his personal quarters. He is to be taken into custody immediately, preferable alive. Report back to me as soon as he is in custody." Hux needed to interrogate Selmur personally. He was sure that Selmur had at least one other accomplice, perhaps a Stormtrooper who had actually slipped the poison into Ava's food.

There was nothing that Hux wanted more than to personally track Selmur down and leave a blaster hole big enough to stick a hand through his chest. However, he hadn't slept or eaten well in days and his eyes were blurring. He could barely stand. He knew that sending a contingent of Stormtroopers was his best option in capturing the monster.

Hux sat heavily in a nearby chair, the weight of the past days pressing down on him. After several minutes, a soft hiss of static announced the security contingent's reply. "General Hux, we arrived at General Selmur's chambers. When we told him why we were there, he took out his blaster. He . . . he turned it on himself. He died."

Hux balled his hands into fists. Of course, Selmur would rob him of his chance to seek retribution. He took a deep breath. "Very well. Bring the body to sick bay for examination."

Hux wanted to see for himself that Selmur was truly gone.

000000

Selmur's death should have brought Hux some peace, but he felt more than a little uneasy. He kept jumping at shadows, his paranoia for once completely justified.

Not to mention, Ava's progress had been painfully slow. Draya root was an insidious poison, affecting nearly every system in her body. Counteracting its effects was a near insurmountable problem.

Dr. Ferran came to him a few days after Selmur's death. "I know that Ava's recovery has taken longer than we'd like. I have an idea that may speed things up considerably."

"Go ahead."

Dr. Ferran gave him a hesitant look. "It's very, very expensive."

"Money is no object. I've already told you that I'll do anything to help her. Anything. What do you want to buy?"

"A bacta tank. It weighs about 500 kilos. The logistics of installing it on board and the expense of suspending her in bacta . . ."

Hux held up a hand to cut him off. "But, you say that it can heal her?"

"It's our best chance for a full and speedy recovery. I've seen it perform near-miracles."

"Order it. Immediately."

"Are you sure? I've made some preliminary inquiries. The price is astronomical in this quadrant."

Hux nodded. "Absolutely."

"Alright. I'll contact the suppliers. It should be delivered and installed with a few days."

"Good."

00000000

Watching Ava suspended in that opaque liquid was more than a little disconcerting to Hux. He'd heard about the amazing healing properties of bacta, but he'd never seen it up close before.

"She seems to be responding," Dr. Ferran noted as he inspected the control panel.

"Doctor, words cannot express how grateful I am for what you've done for my wife."

"She's special."

"I know." Hux took a deep breath. "I know it's not enough to repay you for what you've done, but I've made some arrangements. Your son will be released within a day. Once your replacement arrives at the end of next week, I've secured a shuttle to take you to the nearest base. From there, I've booked you passage so that you can meet up with your son."

"I . . . I don't understand."

"What the First Order did to you was . . . . No one should be held hostage like that. You've been a fine doctor."

"Why are you doing this?"

"She wanted me to send you home the first day she met you. Did you know that? I argued against it. But, in the end, she was right. She almost always is."

The doctor uttered words he never thought he would before. "Thank you, General Hux."

"It was the least I could do."

00000000

The next day, Dr. Ferran approached Hux and he was beaming. "I have wonderful news. We're transferring her out of the bacta tank. She should awaken within the hour."

"And her recovery?"

"A complete reversal of all of the damage inflicted by the poison. She doesn't need any more medical interventions. It's as if it never happened."

It felt like a burden of a thousand pounds had been lifted from Hux. He watched as the med-droids gently extracted Ava from the tank, drying her off, and changing her into a soft, white flowing robe. They placed her gingerly onto her sick bay bed and within a few moments, her eyes fluttered open and she moaned softly.

"You're awake." A feeling of pure joy enveloped him. "How are you feeling?" Hux asked.

"Tired," she said tightly, her body radiating tension.

Hux figured that she was nervous and confused about her ordeal. "You've been in a coma for weeks. You were poisoned, but you needn't concern yourself, my dear. The person who did this to you has been taken care of. He's gone. You're completely safe and have fully recovered. The doctor said that you're going to be fine. And I vow that I will do everything in my power to protect you. "

"I can never be completely safe aboard a First Order ship. It's not possible," she scoffed, clenching her fists.

There was something that Hux was missing and it irritated him more than it should have. He knelt down and leaned in closer to her. "Why weren't you at dinner with me that night? Why were you in the mess hall, eating with the Stormtroopers? That's how you got poisoned. Someone slipped it into your food. That's why I always make my own food. You're right, I suppose. The ship can be treacherous. I do have my enemies. You need to stay with me to be safe, my dear."

He reached out to take her hand, but a look of pure contempt came over her as she moved her hand and edged away from him. "I got a transmission. From General Selmur. He sent me some footage from last year." Her voice cracked as she continued. "I . . . I saw you. The speech you gave . . . . at the Starkiller base. Before you killed all those people. Billions of them just blotted out of existence on your orders. I guess I finally saw you for who you really are. The First Order really is your family. The only one you could ever really love. You're what I'm 'concerned' about, not the person who poisoned me."

"I see." Hux stood quickly and instinctively backed away. He felt as though he'd been punched in the gut.

"I thought that you were different. I really hoped you that were. But, I was mistaken."

"I . . ." But Hux had no words.

"I'm going to rest now," she said softly, closing her eyes and turning away from him.

Hux stood there for a long moment, unable to form any coherent thought, as once again his world fell apart.

* * *

 **Author's Note** \- You can see Luke Skywalker in a bacta tank in The Empire Strikes Back on Hoth after he is attacked by a wampa.

If you get a chance, before you read the next chapter, look up the video clip from The Force Awakens of Hux's speech right before the attack on Hosnian Prime that killed billions of people in that star system. It's chilling, to say the least. Then, imagine being married to that person.

As always, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! I can't tell you how much you uplifting words encourage me to write even when I'm overwhelmed and super busy. Thanks to my wonderful readers!


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note** \- Again, if you get a chance, before you read this chapter, look up the video clip from The Force Awakens of Hux's speech at the Starkiller Base right before the attack on Hosnian Prime

 **Trigger warning** \- Hux has a fairly vivid nightmare about his past deeds.

 **Ch. 14**

Hux practically stumbled out of sick bay, his mind jumbled. Back at his quarters, he swore as he replayed their conversation again and again in his head. raking his hand through his messy hair. Even from the grave, Selmur was threatening to ruin his life. Sending Ava that footage was the perfect way to split them apart and leave her vulnerable to being poisoned.

Hux sat down at his couch and searched the official First Order archives on his datapad. He brought up the video of his speech at the Starkiller base, forcing himself to view it again and again. He saw his red-rimmed eyes, his arms gesturing in anger, the spittle flying out of his mouth as he worked himself into a lather, screeching about the evils of the Republic. In his mind, it had been a dignified, rousing speech of encouragement and celebration for his troops.

In reality, it was anything but that.

It was harder to watch than he thought. All of those lives lost. For nothing. He didn't save the galaxy and restore order by getting rid of the Republic. The First Order was not some glorious new Empire installing order into the galaxy and protecting the universe from corruption and chaos. It was a nest of vipers, sniping and feeding on one another.

As he watched the footage from only a year earlier, it was hard to believe he was the same man. At one time, he was so fervent in his complete and utter devotion to the First Order. His desire for power was unlimited. But, it was all a house of cards that came tumbling down at the slightest provocation.

He was a buffoon, a fool, worshipping at the altar of a false god that never really existed in the first place. He felt ashamed to see how far his pride and ambition had taken him, slaughtering an entire star system in a pathetic attempt to curry favor with Snoke. He was just like Ruchi, an obsequious little toad running after scraps of power.

He could lie to himself perhaps. Tell himself that it was inevitable that the First Order was going to use the Starkiller base to destroy their enemies, whether he gave the order or not. But, deep down, in his heart of hearts, he remembered practically begging Snoke to use the weapon, eager to prove his worth to Snoke by any means necessary.

A new and even more painful thought occurred to him. He thought of how he felt when he saw Ava, lying motionless in the sick bay bed. Then, he imagined how that feeling had been amplified through that star system because of his actions. All the pain and anguish he had caused. He'd never really thought about it before. Other people were always just a means to an end to him before. He'd truly never cared for anyone nor had anyone ever care for him. But the thought of losing Ava . . . .

He took a ragged breath. How could he lose someone he never really had? Would she ever look at him again the way she did before? Could she forgive the unforgivable? Could she care for a monster?

He cradled his face in his hands as the images flickered on his data pad. He felt absolutely and completely broken. Life without Ava was impossible to contemplate. He thought of his life before. The emptiness. The loneliness. The isolation. He couldn't go back to that.

Utter exhaustion began to claim him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept for more than a few hours. He got up and made his way over to his bed, intending to nap a few minutes before going back to the sick bay to talk to Ava.

He slept for nearly twelve hours.

0000000

His sleep was filled with the most hellish nightmares imaginable. They weren't the usual ones, the ones about his bully of a father abusing him or being Force-choked to death by Kylo during one of his many temper tantrums. These were new ones.

They were far worse.

One by one, his nightmares recounted every single life he'd taken, from his own father to nameless villagers to rioting peasants. Again and again, he saw himself murder his way through the galaxy as more and more blood dripped from his hands. And, once the victim was dead, their face would melt away and be replaced by Ava's still visage.

His mind flashed to the time he'd cornered a Rebel spy, a spineless gunrunner who profited from both sides. He ordered the man's immediate execution while the double agent begged on his knees for mercy.

"Please, don't. I've got a wife. I've got three kids and a baby on the way. Please," the man pled, groveling at Hux's feet.

Hux peered down at the pathetic soul, his hands clasped behind his back. "You really should have thought of that before you chose your profession. I wouldn't worry if I were you. I'm sure they're better off without you." He nodded at the Stormtroopers. "Proceed with the execution."

He stepped aside, letting the Stormtroopers riddle the man with their blasts and then, the body thudded to the ground. He carelessly kicked the corpse to one side with his boot to confirm the death, but, it was Ava that lay there, her dark eyes unblinking in death.

His nightmares culminated in his speech at the Starkiller base, the words etched in his memory as he ordered the deaths of an entire star system. He could see millions of people in the Hosnian system looking at the sky in terror as the beam made its way towards their planets. And, right before the beam destroyed them, obliterating their existence, every single face changed to Ava's.

For hours, he was tormented, soaking his sheets in his sweat, tangling himself in his bed clothes, shaking in pure terror, unable to stop what was happening. He awoke at noon, pale and shivering. He made his way to his bathroom before he fell to his knees, retching and quivering. He cleaned up and bathed, trembling in the shower as the images of him murdering Ava in a thousand different ways swam before his eyes.

He dressed quickly and squared his shoulders. It was time to talk to his wife.

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When he arrived at the sick bay, she was sitting up in bed, sipping a clear broth that rested on a tray in her lap. Her eyes widened as he approached and she motioned to a nearby med-droid, who took the food away.

"Dr. Ferran told me what you did. For him and his son. Thank you." Her tone was wary and guarded.

Hux sat down in the chair next to her bed. His legs would no longer support him. "It was the right thing to do."

"The right thing to do?"

He knew that those words sounded odd coming from him. "Ava . . . . I was . . .. wrong."

She blinked. "You were . . . what?"

"The Starkiller base . . . . targeting civilians like that. I was wrong. I did it because . . . ." He shook his head. "The reasons don't matter anymore. I was wrong. I'm . . . I'm ashamed of my actions." He could hardly believe he was saying the words aloud.

"You've never admitted that you were ever wrong about anything to me."

"I regret . . . what I did."

She leaned towards him, her head cocked to the side. "Will you do it again?"

He thought for a long moment before he answered. "The First Order must maintain . . ."

She held up a hand, interrupting him. "I don't care about the First Order. I care about you. I need to know what you will do."

He sat there, not knowing how to respond. "My options are limited. As a general, . . ."

She gritted her teeth. "Don't hide behind your rank. You always have a choice to do what is right."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It isn't easy. It'll be the hardest thing you ever do. To become the man that you could be. But, that doesn't mean it isn't the right decision."

"I wish I had your optimism."

She shook her head. "I'm not optimistic. I'm . . . . hopeful. Hopeful that one day . . . one day very soon, you'll become who you were always meant to be."

"And who's that?"

She gave him an impish grin and took his hand, giving it a small squeeze. "Just you wait."

0000000

Things slowly returned back to normal. Ava needed a few days of physical therapy to improve her muscle tone after weeks in a coma. After that, she went straight back to the sick bay, helping out the new physician, Dr. Fane Benoo. Dr. Benoo was a stickler for the rules, but also had a compassionate side and Ava got along with her rather well.

Hux had a harder time with his return to his duties. With Selmur gone, there was even more work to do. Not to mention, Hux slowly found out, as the days went by, just how many problems Selmur had been causing by squirrelling away resources for his own private entourage of Stormtroopers at his beck and call or by pressuring junior female officers into sharing a bed with him. Hux's biggest regret was that he hadn't dealt with the brute earlier. He never should have allowed him on his ship.

A few weeks after Hux returned back to command, Ruchi approached him and asked to speak with him privately. Hux's first instinct was to avoid him. Ruchi's lust for power and position were uncomfortable reminders of Hux's past and Hux was starting to think he'd need to replace him sooner rather than later.

Ruchi gave him an oily smile once they were alone. "Sir, I know that you didn't want to be bothered before. You were so ill and then your wife . . . But with Selmur gone, there's something I need to tell you. We haven't had one since FN-2187, but . . . ."

The name of that traitor made Hux's heart sink. "But what?"

"During the last two shore leaves, we've lost men."

"They died?" It wasn't that unusual. Someone would drink a bit too much and cross the wrong person in a seedy bar while on shore leave.

Ruchi shook his head. "Worse. We believe they defected."

"So, one or two wander off, forget themselves on the arms of some woman in a brothel and don't return to their shuttles in time . . . I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Hux had far more pressing matters than a few errant Stormtroopers. He peered at his datapad at reports of a Rebel incursion at one of the mining outposts under First Order control.

Ruchi cleared his throat, trying to get Hux's attention. "The first time it was eleven, sir. This last shore leave, while you were ill, it was well over a hundred. I told General Selmur, but he didn't do anything about it."

Hux set down his datapad, turning to Ruchi. "Well, track them down! What about their transponders?"

"They dug them out of their own skin. We found a heap of them in an abandoned warehouse." His aide took a deep breath. "There's more."

"More?"

"Over 50% of the men who went missing had recently been seen in the sickbay . . . By your wife."

Hux sucked in a noisy breath, his mind racing, his hands trembling slightly. "Tell no one. I'll . . . um . . . I'll handle this."

Hope would spread through the ship like a cancer. Hux could feel everything fall apart. All the years of training the soldiers being undone.

And yet, a very small part of Hux welcomed the destruction.

 **Author's Note** \- Words cannot express how much I appreciate your kind words of support and encouragement. When I'm overwhelmed, knowing that you're looking forward to the next chapter is incredibly motivating. Thank you so much!


	15. Chapter 15

**Ch. 15**

Hux waited anxiously for Ava to arrive at his quarters that night. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to phrase his concerns without them coming out like accusations. Perhaps, she had misunderstood about the transponders and the need for secrecy when it came to their true purpose. Perhaps, she had merely tried to help the Stormtroopers who had found an odd metal object under their skin.

They had become incredibly close in the past few weeks. Hux had shared more about his past, the constant abuse of his father coupled with his fanatical childhood indoctrination into a reverence for the glories of the fallen Empire. Ava told him about growing up in the palace, learning from a young age to always use her power to protect and care for her people, especially the most vulnerable. They couldn't have come from more different backgrounds, and yet fate had brought them together.

Nearly every night they had talked until the wee hours and Hux realized that his life just wouldn't be complete without her.

Which was why he fretted as to how to approach her about the Stormtroopers. They'd been through so much and he couldn't bear another disagreement tearing them apart.

When she walked through the door, Hux nearly gasped. She was wearing the red dress. The dress that he had bought for her at the outdoor market. As Hux stared at her, all thoughts of defections and transponders fled. He could hardly think straight as he looked at her.

"Do you like it?" she asked, as she gave a slow spin.

Hux stared at her so intently that he nearly memorized every curve. "Definitely, my dear."

She gave him a shy smile and rubbed her arms. "Why are your quarters always so cold? It is so you can run around in the greatcoat of yours? I know you look handsome in it, but that's no reason to leave the rest of us to freeze to death," she teased gently.

"Handsome?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. It was the first time she ever mentioned that she found him attractive. His desire for her grew even stronger. Perhaps the night would end the way that Hux hoped it would.

"Yes, handsome." She gave him a warm grin. "Don't change the subject. Why is it always so cold in here?"

"Cold? It must be because you're Aprollan." He reached over and took her hands in his, caressing them softly. "Poor thing, you do feel a bit cold. Let me warm you up a bit."

"Aprollan?"

"Well, every species has its own set temperature."

"Aprollans are humans, just like you," she said.

"They are?"

"You didn't know that? You really didn't do any research before you signed that treaty, did you?" She laughed.

He shrugged. "Well, I was trying to run the entire First Order all by myself at the time. Still am." Hux's brows furrowed. "Didn't you say something about living longer than us?"

"Yes. Because on our planet we have a better nutrition system and more medical advances." She gave him an odd look. "How did you think we were going to 'produce heirs' if we were different species?"

Hux shrugged. "Medical interventions?" He rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand and gave her a rakish grin as he took a step closer to her and thoughts of her in that dress clouded his mind. "Speaking of producing heirs . . . . ."

An annoying bell went off, interrupting his train of thought. "General Hux," his aide's voice came over the intercom with a soft static hiss.

Hux gritted his teeth in frustration. "I'm in the middle of something, so if it isn't an emergency . . . ."

"Supreme Leader Ren's ship has just arrived via hyperspace. He wants to meet with you immediately on the bridge."

Hux dropped Ava's hands and swore softly under his breath. "Yes, of course." He looked at his wife. "I have to meet him. I'm sorry. We'll . . . . resume this later?" he asked hopefully.

She nodded. "Definitely."

00000000

It is said that revenge is a dish best served cold, and for Lt. K'reh Ataledge, he preferred it icy. He waited months to find a way to bring down General Hux's wife after she had rejected him. The job was nearly done for him by General Selmur and his poison, and it was a disappointment to see that she recovered fully from the incident.

Having Supreme Leader Ren show up on the ship was an unexpected stroke of good luck, considering the hostility between Ren and Hux.

Officer Ataledge had never spoken directly to the Supreme Leader, although he'd witnessed his fair share of his tantrums in the past. He approached him warily as he left the hanger. "Supreme Leader, might I have a word with you?"

"I'm on my way to the bridge. You can walk with me there. What do you want?"

"Have you met General Hux's wife yet?"

"Treaty girl? No. Why?"

"Well . . . there are some . . . who feel a bit uncomfortable with having such a person have such unlimited access to the ship. She's a civilian who has never been properly vetted. She practically lives in the sick bay, has almost all of the Stormtroopers under her spell, and shuns the other officers. She has no sense of decorum. She's incredibly secretive. It's almost as if she has a . . . hidden agenda."

"A hidden agenda?"

K'reh smiled as he sensed Ren taking the bait. "Yes, Supreme Leader."

Ren gave him a small smile. "We'll just see about that."

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Nearly half an hour later, Kylo swept onto the bridge of the ship, a contingent of his Knights of Ren flanking him. He approached Hux with an intent gaze. "You know why I've come."

"More men. More ships. To find the Rebels," Hux said dully, almost robotically. It was going to be the end of the First Order. Kylo's utter incompetence was going to run them straight into the ground.

"And are you prepared to comply with my orders and shall I find myself another Grand Marshall who will?"

Hux's eyes widened at that. He'd been wanting the title of Grand Marshall for years, but he'd always been denied it by Snoke, despite his huge increase in responsibilities. It was the second highest position he'd ever hoped to get, right under Supreme Leader. It was the culmination of years of scheming and plotting. "No . . . no. I can make all the preparations."

"Good." Kylo cocked his head to the side and gave him a humorless grin. "So, how's marital bliss?

"Blissful," Hux said a bit too quickly, feeling wary around Kylo.

"It has come to my attention that I have never met your wife."

"Well, you've only just arrived."

"We will dine together. Your aide said that this is your customary hour. I'll follow you back to your quarters. Your wife's waiting there for you, isn't she? We'll just eat together. Now." It was a command.

"Of course, Supreme Leader," Hux said, his heart sinking.

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"My dear, we have a guest. Supreme Leader Ren will be joining us for dinner," Hux announced loudly as they made their way through the door of his chambers.

Ava's eyes widened, but she managed a timorous smile. She stood up from the sofa and walked towards Kylo with an outstretched hand. "It's so nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you."

Kylo took her hand, bowing to kiss it. Then, his eyes slowly trailed up her entire form, leaving Hux seething. "All good, I hope."

"Of course, Supreme Leader," Hux said quickly.

"That's a lovely . . . dress," Kylo said, cocking an eyebrow.

"A gift from my dear husband," Ava replied, giving Hux a wide smile.

Kylo once again gave Ava the onceover, not bothering to be subtle about it. "Makes sense. I'd buy something like that if I had a wife as beautiful as you."

"He's so thoughtful," Ava replied pointedly, changing the subject.

"Thoughtful? That's not exactly an adjective I'd use when describing Grand Marshal Hux."

"Grand Marshal?" Ava asked, looking towards Hux.

"Yes. A bit of a promotion. Isn't it good news?" Hux tried to keep the tension out of his voice. "Why don't you and I finish up dinner while the Supreme Leader relaxes for a bit. I'm sure he's had a long journey. We can open up some Andovian ale for him."

Once Kylo had been settled on the sofa with a glass and some ale, Hux and Ava retreated to the kitchen to work on dinner.

"I can't believe we're cooking dinner for that man," Ava whispered furiously, stealing glances over at Kylo at the far end of the room.

"Neither can I. I've never eaten a meal with him the entire time I've known him." The walk back to his quarters had been stilted at best and Hux had no idea what Kylo was up to.

"Why now?"

"He wanted to meet you."

"Why?"

"I've given up trying to find the logic in his actions," Hux confessed.

"After all that he's done to you . . ." Anger seeped into her voice.

Hux's eyes widened and he leaned in a bit closer. "You can't say anything about that. Just keep your head down, eat quickly, and hopefully, he'll leave soon."

"So, you want me to play the role of the meek, dutiful wife?"

"Yes. Just for one night," he pled.

"You know me better than that."

"Look, Ava. He's dangerous, unhinged. I never know what will set him off. I can't risk . . ."

She cupped his cheek with her hand. "I'll do my best. It's only one night."

Hux pressed his hand against hers. "Just one night. Hopefully, we'll satisfy his curiosity and that'll be the end of it."

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Making a meal intended for two stretch into a meal for three took a bit of rearranging, but with a few extra rolls added to the table and an extra serving of vegetables added to the stew, Hux and Ava were able to pull it off. Hux and Ava sat next to each other at the table, both facing Kylo on the other side.

"This is a wonderful meal," Kylo began, giving Ava an insincere smile as he surveyed the food that had be laid out in front of him.

"Hux is a great chef. It's one of the best perks of being married to him." Ava touched Hux lightly on his arm.

"Well, it's nice to know that he's actually good at something," Kylo sniped.

"Hux is an incredible leader," Ava countered, her eyes narrowed.

"A leader who lets dozens of his troops die because he can't be bothered to vaccinate them. I talked to some of the crew members. He was warned of the consequences and he still refused to take action. His foolishness nearly cost him his own life. And instead of vaccinating thousands of troops, he pays for an overpriced bacta tank for his own wife. It reeks of favoritism and callousness," Kylo retorted. "Hardly the hallmark of an incredible leader."

"You have no idea the kinds of pressure . . .," Ava began, her voice rising.

"Not to mention he brought Selmur on board, installing him as second in command, letting him wreak havoc," Kylo interjected.

"If you knew all that he does . . ." Ava bunched her napkin up in frustration.

"Now, my dear. Let's not bore the Supreme Leader with all of that. He's only just arrived," Hux interrupted, giving her a pointed look.

"Of course," Ava said blandly, uncurling her fingers.

Kylo started in on his stew. "I've researched that little treaty of yours. The prices are absurdly low."

Ava gave him an emotionless smile. "Well, we felt that having an alliance with the First Order would be beneficial."

"Originally, I was supposed to sign that treaty, am I right?"

Ava's eyes widened and she nodded as she ate a spoonful of soup.

"And then, you would have been mine."

She managed a breezy smile. "Well, we're lucky that it worked out the way it did. You've got your freedom and I've got my Hux."

Kylo looked directly at Hux, grinning at his growing discomfort, obviously enjoying how much his goading was bothering him. "Freedom is overrated. It's obvious that I should have signed that treaty. Then, I would have gotten all of the perks of being married to such a lovely creature. I would have gotten the nightly dinners, someone to warm my bed. Perhaps, we'll dissolve the current one we have with the Aprollans and have me sign the new one. Transferring the marriage title to me shouldn't be a problem at all. And I don't mind scooping up your leftovers." He punctuated his diatribe by pointing his spoon at Ava.

At that, Ava stood up, leaned across the table, and slapped Kylo full across the face. Kylo stood quickly, his chair toppling to the ground, his hand cupping his stinging cheek, his eyes wild.

"I think it's time you leave," she said, trembling in anger.

"You dare . . ." Kylo began, pointing a shaking finger at her.

"I know for a fact that you were brought up with more respect for women than to treat them as an object to be toyed with. Whatever gripe you have with my husband, don't think for a second that you can use me as a pawn in your games."

Kylo opened his mouth and then closed it abruptly. Without a word, he swept out of the room and left Hux's chambers.

Hux let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and slowly eased his hand off of his blaster that he had under the table, out of sight, trained on Kylo. He shook his head. "I can't believe you did that. You shouldn't provoke him. You have no idea what he could do to you. I . . . I can't protect you from him."

She took his free hand, giving it a small squeeze. "Yes. Yes, you can. And more importantly, when the time comes, you will."

* * *

 **Author's Note** \- I can't thank you enough for all of your kind encouragement, dear readers. When I feel like I don't have the time or energy to write, knowing that you are looking forward to the next chapter really inspires me.


	16. Chapter 16

**Ch. 16**

The mood had been completely spoilt by Kylo's behavior and Ava returned to her room as soon as she finished her dinner. Considering how Hux had intended to end the night, it was more than a little bit of a let down.

His night was filled with nightmares, but of new sort. No longer was he soaked in the blood of his enemies, instead it was vision after vision of Kylo taking Ava away from him, dissolving their marriage, and Kylo taking Ava as his own bride. Given that the marriage between Ava and Hux had never been consummated, Kylo easily had it annulled.

Hux watched helplessly as time and time again, Kylo turned his attentions to Ava and stole her away from Hux. No matter what Hux did, it always ended the same, with Kylo and Ava making their vows to one another.

It was almost a blessing, when in the middle of the night, he was woken up by an irritating claxon.

"Grand Marshal Hux, report to interrogation room A immediately by orders of Supreme Leader Ren."

Hux rolled his eyes and briefly considered trying to stall. He was irritable from the nightmares and the lack of sleep and the last thing he wanted to do was see Kylo again so soon. However, being referred to by his new title of Grand Marshal was a bit encouraging, so he forced himself out of bed and quickly dressed, putting on his full uniform.

He made his way to the interrogation room, remembering that it was the same room that they had kept that scavenger, Rey, when Kylo tried to interrogate her. Hux briefly wondered if Kylo had ferreted out some of Selmur's followers. Hux wouldn't mind at all interrogating one of them and finally finding out which one of them had slipped the poison in Ava's food.

Given how Kylo had reacted to Ava, perhaps, Hux thought, it would be prudent to send her away for a while. He could find a ship to take her back to her aunt's palace, making some excuse for the trip. He'd miss her terribly, but he couldn't bear the thought of Kylo making her life difficult on board.

The door opened and Hux saw Kylo looming over a figure that was bound to the interrogation board at the forearms, wrists and ankles. As he grew closer, he saw that it was Ava. She was covered in sweat, tears streaming down her face, wearing a soft white long-sleeved linen shirt and matching pants, presumably her nightclothes. The realization that she had been rousted from her bed and dragged to the interrogation room for Kylo sickened Hux.

Hux began to rush into the room. "What are you doing with my wife?"

"That's close enough," Kylo said, his voice full of malicious warning.

Hux stopped in his tracks and looked over at Ava, still a few feet away from him. "It's alright. It's okay. Everything is going to be alright. I promise you."

"It's good to have you join us. Ruchi had some very interesting information to share with me," Kylo sneered.

Hux looked over to see Ruchi behind Kylo, his eyes downcast. The betrayal shouldn't have stung, Hux has seen it coming for months, but for some reason it hurt more than he cared to admit.

"You can go," Kylo said and Ruchi skittered out of the room like the cockroach he was as Hux glared at him.

Once Ruchi had left, Kylo gave Hux a disgusted smirk. "You've been made a fool of, Hux. It isn't surprising. It's clearly not that hard to do. She tipped me off . . . that remark about my upbringing. She must know my mother. She's a plant, a Rebel spy. She's slowly been turning the troops against us. Ruchi filled me in on all that's been happening in my absence. We've interrogated her sick bay patients. She tells them about the tracker that we embed, fills their heads with tales of the glorious Resistance. There have been three mutiny attempts this week alone. We've had over a hundred troop defections over the last few months and it's even spread to the other ships in the fleet. At this rate of defections, this ship won't have enough crew left to function before long." He looked down at her. "She must have been extensively trained in order to evade my mind probe, more evidence that she's a spy. But, there are other ways of getting the information that we need."

He turned to Ava, his voice low and deadly. "You will tell me the location of the rebels."

"I've told you time and time again; I have no idea what you're talking about."

"TELL ME WHERE REY IS!" Kylo screamed, sending a bolt of electricity through her.

Seeing his wife enveloped in a blue cloud of lightning, every moment of hatred for Kylo bubbled over, and in a red haze of pure fury, Hux's hand flew to his blaster. "I DON'T CARE WHO SHE IS! THAT'S MY WIFE!"

The blast hit Kylo and he crumpled to the ground.

Hux ran to Ava, quickly undoing her bindings. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"No. I'm fine. I'm better than fine. In the end, you chose me. Over everything." She cupped his face with both hands.

He looked at her. "I will always choose you." He rubbed a thumb against her cheek, brushing away her tears. "Always," he repeated breathily as he lowered his head, staring intently at her.

She closed her eyes and leaned forward, her breath hitching.

When his lips met hers, time stood still. He felt her body press against his, felt her nails slightly scratching his scalp, sending shivers down his spine. He heard the the rapid, halting intake of her breath as the kiss deepened.

After an eternity, Hux reluctantly pulled back and straightened. His mind was racing. "Kylo."

"That's not exactly the reaction I was looking for after our first kiss," she teased.

"No . . . I mean, the blaster. It was just set to stun. I . . . I have to finish him off." Hux turned and waved over at Kylo's still form.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Hux looked back at her in confusion. "What for?"

"For this," she said as she raised his blaster at him and then, the world went black.

 **Author's Note** \- I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! This one and the next are a bit shorter, but I hope the quick update time will make up for it. As always, your encouragement is what makes me want to keep on writing.


	17. Chapter 17

Ch. 17

Hux woke up to the hum of a ship's engine. Instantly, he knew he was no longer on board his own vessel. His eyes fluttered open and he saw Ava peering down at him. She had changed into a charcoal grey First Order uniform and it looked out of place on her. "You stunned me."

She gave him an apologetic smile. "I had to. I'm sorry. I had to react quickly and I had limited options at the time."

Hux's gaze swept the small ship. "Who's flying this thing?"

Ava shrugged. "Autopilot at the moment. It's just you and me."

"How . . . . how did you even get me from the interrogation room to here? I must outweigh you by at least a good 40 or 50 pounds."

"I did make a few friends on board. They lent me these clothes so that we could escape and helped me with a sick bay stretcher to transport you to the hanger. They were eager to help. Not to mention, with you out of the way, the next mutiny will probably succeed."

Excluding Ava, Hux had never considered a single soul on board a friend, much less someone willing to commit treason for him. "Are you saying you're more popular than I am?"

She gave a snort of laughter. "By a good margin."

He sat up gingerly. "So, you really are a Rebel spy?" He'd never been stunned before and his head felt like thick and stuffy, like it was filled with cotton.

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "Yes. . . . I'm surprised it took you this long to find out, to be honest."

Hux thought back to her repeated declarations of disgust for the First Order's methods and training. He supposed she was right that he should have figured it out long ago. "What was your mission?"

"To sabotage the active hyperspace tracking. I also copied the schematics for the Resistance."

Hux nodded. It made sense. "When did you do that?"

"Oh . . . months ago. When I hurt my arm and you took me to sick bay for the first time. I was going to try to leave then, but I found it was a lot harder than I had anticipated. I decided that since I was stuck on the ship, I should get to know you better, see if I could pass along any useful intel when I messaged my aunt each week. Encoded, of course."

 _The day she hurt her arm._ It was the first time he felt like he was seeing the real Ava. She dropped the syrupy sweet fake act because her mission was over; she had nothing left to lose. "And the treaty?"

"Kylo was right. The elements were purposely priced low to entice the First Order. There were rumors that your organization was in financial difficulty."

Hux massaged his temples, trying to take everything in. "And the marriage bit?"

"We needed a way onto your ship and relatively unlimited access. Our culture does seal most treaties with an arranged marriage. It seemed a . . . . logical choice."

"You could have been married to Kylo."

She shuddered. "I know."

"And what about what you did with the troops?"

She smiled once again. "That was a happy accident."

"Accident?"

"I had a lot of extra time on my hands. So, I went to the sick bay to help out. And then I found the fatal flaw in your training."

"Which was?"

"Fear and hatred only go so far. Kindness, love, compassion, hope . . . That's what inspires people. That's what makes people risk their lives for one another. I tried to tell you. You wouldn't listen."

"I should be furious. You lied to me. From the beginning."

She cocked her head to the side. "But you aren't."

Hux looked down at his wrist, squinting as he saw a bandage there. "What's this?"

She held up her own wrist, wrapped in gauze. "They implanted trackers in the both of us. Probably last night as we slept. I had to take them out before we left."

"Who would . . . ."

She cocked her head "Who do you think?"

"Kylo . . . ." Hux sucked in a noisy breath through his gritted teeth. "He'll kill me for what I've done. I can never go back to the First Order." The realization hit Hux like a ton of bricks and his breath became shaky as shock settled over him. Decades of careful planning destroyed in one impulsive act. Everything he'd ever worked for just wiped away. He achieved his dream of becoming Grand Marshal and it lasted less than a day.

"Why did you do it?"

"I don't know." Hux looked down, unable to meet her gaze.

"Don't you?" she prodded gently.

He looked up at her. "You're going to make me say it first."

She gave him a grin that felt like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. "Yes. I really am."

He sat up straighter and took her hands in his. "I . . . . I love you. I didn't know what that word meant before. It was just a collection of random sounds. I . . . I'm not a good person, Ava. I probably never will be. But . . . being with you . . . makes me want to try."

She squeezed his hands. "I love you, too. I didn't plan on that part. Believe me."

"Why didn't you let me kill Kylo?"

She gave him another apologetic smile. "Rey still believes she can turn him. I couldn't take that away from her. She still believes that there's good in him."

Hux gave snort of disgust. "Not likely."

"Haven't you noticed that Kylo's been bleeding the First Order dry? The men? The ships? The funds? Rey believes that he's been intentionally weakening the First Order . . . driving it into the ground. And in the interrogation room, that bolt of electricity . . . I barely felt it. It didn't hurt at all. I think it was just for show. To provoke you."

"Son of a —-," Hux swore softly under his breath. "He played me."

"He probably wanted to see where your loyalties lie. With the First Order or with me."

Hux gave a soft sigh. "Now what?"

"I think you know the answer to that. The First Order will shoot you on sight. Like you said, you can never go back."

Hux put his face in his hands. "We're going to become Rebel Scum, aren't we?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing. The First Order is falling apart as it is. You know that better than anyone. All it needs is a little push. We can do that. Together. You've got the knowledge of their operations. I've got the connections. We could wipe it all away." She waved to his datapad, resting on a nearby table. "I swiped it on our way out. Thought it'd be useful."

An image of taking everything away from Kylo flitted through his head. Reducing everything to ashes. Grinding the entire First Order into dust. Tearing down that corrupt organization piece by piece. It was more pleasant than he thought it would be.

He took his wife in his arms to kiss her. "Well, Rebel Scum it is."

 **Author's Note** \- And that is the planned end to this story. I was going to mark it complete and be all done.

However, I have to tell you all, I am overwhelmed and blown away by all of your support and encouragement. I've talked to a few other fanfic authors and some have mentioned the 1% rule. Which means that for every 100 views to your story, you might get one review. And yet, as I'm looking at Chapter 16, it has 61 views and 8 reviews. Which is over 10 times better than average. It lets me know that the people who do read this story are incredibly supportive and that warms my heart.

So, I've got an idea. I've done this once before on my most popular story, "The Captain's Bride", and it worked quite well. Instead of starting a brand new story, **Chapter 18 will begin the sequel to this one**. It'll focus on Hux transitioning from Grand Marshal of the First Order to a Resistance collaborator. And I'm going to explore Kylo's growing obsession with Rey and see where that leads him. And yes . . . there will definitely be some Reylo content in there.

 **I have one last favor. Even if you've never reviewed any of my other chapters, could you please leave me a review on this one? It would mean the world to me.**

Here's a sneak preview of the sequel, "How It All Comes Together".

 _Sometimes, things have to fall completely apart before they can come together._


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